Dwindling customer: State to shift old markets to easily accessible areas

KOLKATA: The state Agricultural Marketing department has taken a major initiative in shifting of old markets across the state where customer turnout is decreasing by leaps and bounds.

"We have already identified a number of markets which we feel should be shifted to a location which will be easily accessible. It is a big and complicated task but we have taken up the challenge. One such market at Asansol has already been shifted to a terminal location by spending over Rs 8.5 crore," Biplab Mitra, Agricultural Marketing minister said at the Bengal Agriculture Conclave 2022 organised by Merchants' Chamber of Commerce & Industry. There has been rapid urbanisation in Bengal and a number of old markets have lost their utility because of their geographical location.

Talking about some recent initiatives of his department, Mitra said that a Green Chilli Market is coming up at Paniparul in Egra, East Midnapore to ensure that the chilli farmers get remunerative prices.The department is coming up with an organic fertiliser hub at Rajarhat—the first of its kind in the state. The hub will not only act as a platform for buying and selling of organic fertilisers by farmers but also for sale of organic produce directly to the customers ruling out involvement of any middleman. The hub is expected to be functional soon. The seven storied building on 988.5 sq metre land will also have an advanced laboratory with skilled professionals for testing of the organic products. Only certified organic products from the laboratory will be sold in the hub. He also spoke about Sufal Bangla, a dream project of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which has been serving a large number of people with the supply of fresh vegetables at their door steps. The unique Farm to Fork initiative involves FPOs in marketing of agricultural produce and aims at ensuring remunerative price to farmers and reasonable price to the consumers by way of eliminating middlemen from the marketing chain. The project presently operates through 63 mobile vans, 3 hubs and 500 retail outlets across the state.

The minister reiterated that Agricultural Export Policy has been formulated with a vision to double the agri export in Bengal by 2030.