Bhubaneswar, March 5: Fresh vegetables may soon be available at affordable prices at a new market that the civic body and the cooperation department are planning to set up at Damana Square.
A patch of land has already been selected at Damana Square to set up the modern market. The market will not only help people get fresh vegetables at an affordable cost but will also help farmers get their dues without wasting their produce or being bothered to sell the same at the wholesale markets or through middlemen.
"The decision of establishing the vegetable market has been taken to help farmers. Many farmers, mainly vegetable growers, are cultivating their produces on the outskirts of the city. They often sell their produce at the wholesale market or make individual attempts to sale their produce," said an official of the co-operation department.
The upcoming market will help the farmers by providing them a single platform to sell the products.
"The plan of setting up the market is at a very preliminary stage. We had a discussion at the official level. We will also talk with the farmers before coming up with the design of the market and deciding on its mode of functioning," said the official.
At present, the city has one big wholesale market at Unit-I and several other daily markets at various localities. There are also weekly markets at a few places, such as Palasuni, Dumduma, Patia and Pokhariput. The vegetables for the city mainly come from various parts of the state as well as the city outskirts.
"We have set up markets at almost all the localities of the city, but they are mainly profit-centric. The sellers are regular who procure vegetables from farmers or other wholesale markets and sell the products. The sellers remained in profit most of the time while the farmers hardly make the break-even. The new farmer-centric market will help them get their dues," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
Jena said that the civic body was already in the process of setting up specific markets in the city, such as the meat market.
"We are already working to set up two modern meat markets in the city. These markets will organise the sale of non-vegetarian products and also provide a range of choice to the buyers. The farmer-centric market is also planned to serve the similar purpose," said the mayor.
A roadside vegetable seller, Gyana Maharana, welcomed the move and said the government should actually plan to set up more such markets at various locations of the city.
"I am from Balianta and selling the product at Rasulgarh or Palasuni. It will be difficult for me to go to Damana Square and sell my products. It will cost me a lot in the form of transportation. The government should set up such markets at more places," said Maharana.
