Farm Fresh Vegetables on its way for Chennaites

A projected ‘Modern Agricultural Marketing Centre’ in Kolathur, which falls under the Chennai Corporation, could soon provide farm-fresh vegetables to Chennai residents. Traders, on the other hand, are hopeful that the government would also build a giant market on the outskirts of the city that will sell fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy, and flowers all under one roof.

The trading at the Koyambedu Wholesale Market will be unaffected by the center. Instead, such a market is required since there is a significant demand for fruits and vegetables in the city, which has a population of over one crore.

The Food Hub:

• The state government will spend Rs 1 crore to build the hub, which would include stores selling farmers’ produce, farmer producer organization products, organic products, and a solar-powered cold storage facility.
• Products will be offered to consumers at fair prices through this center, allowing consumers and farmers to benefit from each other.
• Multi-storage cold storage, tropical fruit ripening chambers, meat processing, food processing, ice chamber, wholesale market, retail market, flower market, and farmers’ market might all be included in one market.
• The surge in demand follows the announcement of a 500-acre state-of-the-art food park on the outskirts of Chennai, modelled after the world’s largest fresh produce market in Rungis, France.
• GSE Avigna, an Indo-French joint venture, has signed an agreement with the state government to invest Rs 2,000 crore in the massive food park.

Future Plans:

• Meanwhile, following the success of selling farm-fresh veggies to consumers at their doorsteps during the May 2021 lockdown, the government is planning a pilot in five corporations.
• The agricultural minister said that 30 mobile vegetable shops would be introduced in five Corporations: Chennai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem, and Tiruppur.
• Rural youth who work in agriculture will receive a subsidy of 40% or Rs 2 lakhs, whichever is less, to acquire these automobiles.
• A total of Rs 60 lakh from the Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board fund will be used for this.