Delhi to soon get its first farmers' market

With fruit and vegetable prices rising sharply here, the government has proposed setting up a kisan mandi (farmers' market) within the city, where consortium of growers and producers can sell their produce directly to consumers and wholesalers.

The market will be operated under the aegis of the Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium and is likely to be housed in a godown-cold-storage complex operated by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Fedration of India (Nafed) at Lawrence Road in North Delhi.

"A formal proposal is expected to be moved soon and the mandi might come into existence in the current financial year itself," a senior government official said.
 

The mandi, a first of its kind experiment in the national capital, will have approximately 25,000 sq ft of covered area for stalls and warehousing and will also have a transit cold storage space. Around 30 farmer producer companies are expected to participate in the first year of operation.

Presently, a major part of the fruit and vegetable supplies in Delhi are organised through the regulated markets of Azadpur, Okhla, Keshopur, Shahdara and Ghazipur. The national capital receives 11,000-13,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables daily.

Of this, almost 70 per cent is consumed within the city and its adjoining areas, while the rest is forwarded to other markets. Studies show the Delhi-National Capital Region region consumes 8,500-9,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables daily.