Veggie collection centres planned in Guntur, Krishna

Pilot project aimed to eliminate middlemen, assure fair profits to farmers; concept to be extended to the other districts in the state
Veggie collection centres planned in Guntur, Krishna

GUNTUR: The marketing officials are contemplating introducing ‘Farm to Home’ in Guntur and Krishna districts, on a pilot basis, to eliminate the middlemen system in vegetable markets and also ensure better prices to the farmers. If proven a success, the concept will be extended to the other districts.

According to horticulture deputy director (Guntur) K Jayachandra Reddy, after identifying the areas where vegetables are cultivated more, the marketing department will set up vegetable collection centres in the localities. The vegetables collected will be transported to the sales points in towns and cities.

“As of now, there is a wide gap between the prices the farmers are getting for their produce and the customers are being charged, thanks to the middlemen. After purchasing the vegetables from farmers at meagre prices, the vendors are selling the same to customers at exorbitant prices and filling their pockets, taking advantage of lack of proper marketing prices,” he pointed out.

But, the new idea of involving the services of Self Help Group (SHG) women for collecting vegetables directly from farmers, after offering them proper prices, and selling the same to customers, after levying some margin expended for transportation and other purposes, will definitely give relief to both the parties. The SHG women, too, will get benefited financially. Required training will be provided to the women groups, he said.

In Guntur district alone, vegetables are being grown in 12,000 hectares and the farmers are getting 25 MT produce, on an average per hectare. As the areas surrounding Mangalagiri, Narakoduru, Duggirala and Ponnuru are found to have excess lands, the marketing officials are planning to set up vegetable collection centres at these locations.

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