Farmers from Junnar and Narayangaon will be setting up stalls in Dombivali.
Residents facing the heat due to the APMC strike can now heave a sigh of relief. That's not because the strike has now been called off but due to the good news that such agitations can no longer affect them as farmers themselves will be setting up shops to sell their vegetables directly to them. On top of it, farmers' veggies will come 30-60% cheaper than what residents pay at their local sabzi mandis.
Farmers from Junnar and Narayangaon will set up stalls near Tilaknagar school in Dombivli East. They will sell fresh veggies straight from the farm rather than a day or two old that people buy from markets. "Owing to the APMC strike, there was a panic situation among farmers to sell their veggies at throwaway prices to the retailers, who sell the same to the consumers at 100% premium. Therefore, we thought why not sell it directly to the customers without the middlemen," says Samir Athavale, CEO & executive director of Shop for Change, an NGO which is playing a pivotal role in setting up farmer's markets.
With farmer's markets coming, cauliflower price is expected to come down from the current Rs 150/kg to Rs 70-80/kg. Similarly, tomatoes could cost around Rs 70/kg instead of the current Rs 100-plus/kg.
The NGO is also planning farmer's markets in Thane and Mumbai. All they need is local volunteers to publicise these markets and help the farmers sell their produce. "These farmers do not know how to sell their produce to retail customers. So, we need people who can stand with them and help them in the sale. For instance, in Dombivli, college students are volunteering to assist the farmers," said Athavale.
For the past three to four years, Shop for Change has been working with farmers of Maharashtra to better their lives. They intend to set up such markets three to four times a week in every city. "We have been invited to Mumbai and other cities but what we need is volunteers to create a buzz about these farmer's markets and help the farmers become entrepreneurs," he added.
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