The Surat Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has floated a company "" Surat Agro Marketing Hub Pvt Ltd "" to manage the operations of the upcoming Surat Agriculture Private Market Hub, an agro-food park and terminal market. |
A first-of-its-kind in the country, the mega market will be set up through an investment of Rs 500 crore, including a subsidy of Rs 100 crore from the Centre. |
The committee has applied to the Surat collectorate for a 99-hectare land near the airport. To come up within the next three years, the mega market will house facilities for value-addition and processing of fruits and vegetables brought by farmers. The scheme is based on the Guru Committee report that aims at strengthening farmers' output through terminal and transit markets. |
"The hub will look to abolish much of the intermediaries and allow farmers to directly sell at better prices. The market will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to focus on substantial growth in the production, export and modernisation of trade. It will be developed on a concept of chain management where complete backward and forward linkage from farmers to the consumers will be established," said Shankarlal Guru, an agriculture marketing expert and a former MLA. |
The market will also be supported by at least 20 collection centres and equipped with cold chain, electronic grading, ripening chambers, spot commodity trading, testing and certification laboratory, agri-clinic and extension services, and a one-stop shop of inputs. |
It is believed that the market will generate employment for around 20,000 people. Later, the committee is hoping to get the company listed as well, said Guru. |