AP govt mulls mobile vegetable markets

• Specially designed vans will deliver vegetables at doorsteps
• Fresh vegetables will be collected from wholesale market and distributed at reasonable price

Hyderabad: People of Andhra Pradesh can now have the luxury of having high quality vegetables delivered at their door steps. The graded vegetables of all varieties will now be moved in mobile vans in the lanes and by-lanes of various cities in the State giving relief to housewives from going to Rythu Bazaars and super markets.

These vans would pick up stock from the wholesale market on a daily basis. The wholesale prices would be fixed by the marketing department as per the prevailing rates and the retail prices by the Rythu Bazaars. However, the mobile vans would charge Rs 2 per kg on all vegetables as surcharge.

There will be no mediators in the wholesale market and the farmers would be ensured of good price for their product. The vans will have latest weighing scales which would provide bills. The sales details would reach the marketing headquarters instantly. There will not be any quantitative restriction on the retail sale. People can choose any variety and quantity basing on their requirements.

The project is being worked out in association with Horticulture Department which would encourage farmers to develop clusters and grow more vegetables. “Initially the scheme would be launched on trial basis in Visakhapatnam, Vijaywada and Tirupathi and later extended to all municipal corporations,” said Commissioner of Marketing G Venkataram Reddy.

Talking to this correspondent here on Sunday, the commissioner said the people had become health conscious and increased the intake of vegetables.

“According to the latest data available, Andhra Pradesh consumes 35,000 quintals of vegetables every day,”' he said.

The Horticulture Department which enjoys subsidies from the Central government would supply poly-hubs, shadow nets for sensitive vegetation and provide drip irrigation facilities to farmers.