Farmers’ Market has become unpopular among customers due to lesser variety of produce

By Pretish M J | January 06, 2024

Sundaram T’s dream of expanding into dairy came true when he was able to buy two calves six months ago by selling ladies’ fingers. At dawn, the 63-year-old farmer in Moovur village, 50 kilometres from Chennai, hurriedly plucks 20 kilograms of ladies’ fingers along with two workers. He sells all his produce in the nearby market for over Rs 800 by 9am in the morning. 

On January 5th, Sundaram was happy as he was able to sell a kilogram of lady’s fingers to retail vendors for Rs 40. Koyambedu, one of Asia’s largest vegetable market, was selling ladies’ fingers at Rs 50. “If I get over Rs 30 for a kilogram of ladies’ fingers, I am able to make close to Rs 600 profit a day,” said the Moovur farmer. 

One may think that Sundaram sells the produce at Uzhavar Sandhai, a government place given free of rent to help farmers. However, he does not. 

Uzhavar Sandhai, a pet project of M. Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was revived by his son and the current chief minister, M. K Stalin, in 2021. The scheme was launched 25 years ago to eliminate middlemen and allow farmers to sell vegetables, fruits and flowers directly to customers. 

India’s consumer price inflation (CPI) hit a five year-high of 7.44 percent in August 2023, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI). Food items account for nearly 40 percent of CPI. 

The price of tomatoes skyrocketed and touched Rs.220 per kg in Chennai in August 2023. Usually the tomatoes are sold for Rs.40 per kg. Following this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced import of tomatoes from Nepal and increased supply of subsidised tomatoes to ease food inflation. 

Under Uzhavar Sandhai, the government provides infrastructure to farmers to set up shops after getting registered with the state. The shops are allotted to farmers daily through a lottery with one lot per farmer.  The government sets the price of the produce each day that is typically 20% more than the wholesale price and 15% less than the retail price.

Sundaram’s reason for not going to Uzhavar Sandhai is less profit. He said he has thrown his produce away or has been forced to give it to private vendors as there are no customers at Uzhavar Sanshais. 

There are 183 Uzhavar Sandhais in Tamil Nadu. The state government spent Rs 27.5 crore between fiscal year 2021-22 and 2022-23, to renovate 100 Uzhavar Sandhais across the state, and plans to spend an additional Rs 8.75 crore to renovate another 25 in the next financial year, said a policy note on website of the state agriculture ministry. 

An email sent to the Agriculture Minister of Tamil Nadu went unanswered. 

The state government has tried to attract farmers and consumers to Uzhavar Sandhais by offering free train passes, making shops rent-free, giving the farmers free weighing machines, and renovating the markets.

“Even though the government has renovated all six Uzhavar Sandhais of Tiruvallur, it has failed to attract farmers,” said Amudha Subramaniam, agricultural officer at the Department of Agricultural Marketing. 

Ambattur, once the largest Uzhavar Sandhai in Tiruvallur district, has been reduced to one-fifth of its original capacity with just 20 shops due to lack of farmer footfall, she said.

“The whole concept of Uzhavar Sandhai is irrelevant in a city where there are two major markets like Koyambedu and Villivakam,” said Satish Kumar, secretary of Koyambedu vegetable market association. 

Many farmers like Sundaram in the nearby villages do not sell their produce in Uzhavar Sandhais anymore. The farmers claim there has been a steady increase in street vendors who buy from the Koyambedu market, and Villivakam market and set shops illegally on the streets.

Illakiya Bharathi, assistant agriculture officer at Tiruvallur Uzhavar Sandhai said she has repeatedly complained to the police to remove street vendors but there has been no action against them. 

Sundaram said another reason for the declining footfall at Uzhavar Sandhais is changing consumer preferences. He said consumers prefer buying a variety of vegetables which these markets do not have.

The produce at Uzhavar Sandhais is restricted to what is cultivated in local villages as Tiruvallur is cannot grow vegetables like carrot, beans, capsicum, among others.

For Sundaram, a roof over the rent-free shop with a free digital weighing machine,makes it sound like a great idea to set up shop in Uzhavar Sandhai. However, it is not compelling enough when he is unable to make any profits.

“I sell wherever my produce gives me good profits and Uzhavar Sandhai does not give me any profits”.