Farmer’s market is an innovative scheme introduced by the Government of Tamil Nadu, to help the farmers at large. It is the first of its kind in whole India. Such a market was first started in Madurai on 14.10.1999. As on date, six such market centres are in existence and the State Government proposes to establish totally 100 farmers markets in the important centres covering the whole State.

Mode of Operation:

The farmer’s market provides the place for the growers of vegetables and fruits to sell their produce directly to the people without recourse to the middlemen. These markets are mainly started to establish a direct link between the farmers and the consumers. There will be no place for the middlemen to the consumers. When the goods are routed through middlemen, the farmers are not getting remunerative prices for their produce. Likewise, as the middlemen at wholesale and retail levels add their respective margins in the sale prices, the goods are sold at higher prices to the consumers. By eliminating the middlemen, this scheme aims at benefiting both the farmers as well as the consumers.

The market place is established in the important centres to help the farmers living in and around that centre. Every market has 80 to 100 small shops or sheds. Each farmer is allotted a shop to sell his produce. The State Government appoints the marketing Committee to regulate the marketing Centre. The committee will also have farmers as its representatives. This Committee identifies the farmers and gives them a permit card. Such farmers alone are being allotted the shops to market their produce. The farmers need not pay any rent or Commission for selling their goods at the market. Farmers can transport their produce to the marketing centres free of cost using State Transport Corporation Buses.

The market is open for the public from 7.00 A.M.to 7.00 P.M.daily. As and when the farmers bring their produce to the market, the committee will fix the prices for the same. The same price will be ruling for that particular commodity for the whole day. The prices are fixed for different commodities on the basis of previous day prices of that commodity in the wholesale market.

Benefits to the farmers:

1. In a short period of one month, since farmers’ market came into existence, it was found that the income of the farmers, who are using the farmers market, has doubled. This is made possible, as the farmers need not spend any amount towards handling and marketing their produce.

2. The rise in the farm income of the farmers is also due to the direct marketing of their produce to the consumers. Wherever middlemen play their role in distributing the farm produce, the farmers do not get remunerative prices. The middlemen of a particular area usually form a cartel and accordingly fix low prices for the agricultural goods. But, the scheme of farmers market enables the farmers to realise just prices for their produce by eliminating all types of middlemen.

As the sale at the farmers market is only for cash, the farmers are getting money immediately. This is absent when they sell their produce to the middlemen. Most of the traders make delayed payments to the farmers.

Agri-
Knowledge
(Agricultural Marketing)