The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has started identifying locations in the city for the Farm to Home initiative, following its success in the first phase. The initiative was started by the NMMC under the guidance of Cooperation, Marketing and Textile Department with an aim to help farmers and the consumers get better margins and fresh vegetables by eliminating middlemen.
The first phase, a direct tie up between farmers and residential societies, was held on October 16 at the ground opposite Sacred Heart School, Sector 4, in Vashi. The initiative received tremendous response with over 7,000 people taking part in it.
Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner, NMMC, said, “Taking forward the State government’s directive of providing farm vegetables directly from farm to consumers, the NMMC first launched this initiative with the housing societies in the city. There was a huge response and farmers and consumers were highly benefitted. The farmers were able to get better margins and the consumers got fresh veggies at concessional rates. NMMC has now decided to start this initiative at different locations and has identified 15 such locations in different nodes of the city.”
The initiative has also helped the Swachh Bharat mission as vegetables are sold through mobile vans parked inside the residential complexes. Mr. Mundhe said, “This keeps surroundings clean. The residents are also able to get fresh vegetables at their doorstep.”
Divya Gaikwad, corporator ward no. 64, Vashi, said, “In the first phase nearly 18 trucks of fresh farm vegetables had arrived from Nasik, Pune and surrounding areas. All the vegetables were sold out so quickly.”
The farm to home markets will be held on Sundays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m, and on Thursday at the Jagruteshwar Marg, near ‘R’ row, Sector 6, Vashi from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A resident of Vashi said, “This is indeed a very commendable initiative of NMMC. The vegetables were very fresh and comparatively cheaper. Hope such initiatives are started soon in other nodes too.”
The writer is a freelance journalist
