CHENNAI: The Department of Cooperation has introduced a mobile app called ‘Coop bazaar’ through which consumers can purchase grocery items including hill products such as pepper, honey and spices produced by cooperative societies across the state. On Thursday, Minister K R Periyakaruppan launched the app at the secretariat.
As many as 64 products which include cooking oil, honey, coconut oil, pepper, gingelly oil, groundnut, coffee powder, turmeric powder, and others will be made available through the app during the first phase.
“Black pepper from Kolli Hills and natural honey extracted from Sathyamangalam forest are now accessible to residents of Chennai. Until now, these products were primarily purchased by city dwellers only during tours. Additionally, about 20 types of high-value fertilisers have been introduced for sale. Urban consumers can purchase them for their home gardens or rooftop gardens,” an official from the cooperative department said.
Similarly, coconut oil produced without the use of sulphur and gingelly oil, which is made with farm sugar (Karupatti) instead of jaggery, are available as well. “We are also planning to include more commodities produced by cooperative stores after studying their patronage. We are currently in discussions with delivery agencies to reduce courier charges,” the official added.
The 64 products are manufactured by eight cooperative societies, including Agricultural Producers Co-Operative Marketing Societies of Erode, Perunthurai, Tiruchengode and Saidapet taluk, Triplicane Urban Cooperative Society, Kancheepuram District Consumer Co-Operative Wholesale Stores and Large Area Adivasi Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies at Kolli Hills and Sathyamangalam. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Marketing Federation (TANFED), a state-level apex body, acted as coordinator for developing the app.