rue to its tagline, the Agro Super Bazaar at Kissan Jyothi, Fort, caters to ‘all agricultural needs under one roof’. The 3,200-sq ft facility of Kerala Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. (KAICO) is a one-stop shop for a wide variety of products for farmers at various stages of agriculture.
The first-ever agricultural hypermarket in the State, launched in June 2010, provides farming tools and agro-machinery. The products include lawnmowers, garden tillers, grass choppers, blowers, sprinklers and sprayers. Heavy machinery, including tractors and power tillers, are provided. Also available are high quality hand-tools such as pruning cutters, shears, sickles and knives with some being imported from countries such as Taiwan. They are offered at the cheapest possible rates. “Being a government agency, the company does not target huge profits and this gets reflected in the price of items. Items at the bazaar are sold at small margins. Our prices are lower than those at the open market,” says Nikhil Krishnan, an accounts officer at the outlet.
With the emergence of the neera production in the coconut sector, the hypermarket has introduced neera knives that are meant for tapping. The company is also in the process of obtaining licence for supplying neera in its outlets.
Located near the bazaar is a greenhouse facility where saplings, both nursery and medicinal, are kept for sale. Coconut saplings, including the dwarf variant, are available at reasonable rates. There are also mud pots of different shapes and sizes, including hanging pots, orchid pots, and bonsai pots.
The bazaar also provides seeds, bio-pesticides, organic fertilizers, and grow bags at a separate stall on the premises. Mr. Krishnan said the stall was managed by trained staff with several years of experience in farming. They are capable to advising customers on the remedies for plant diseases.
While the Agro Super Bazaar is primarily meant for agricultural tools and related items, the outlet also provides a wide range of other products.
Biogas plants are available at subsidised rates. There is also a range of food products under the brand ‘Jyothi,’ produced by the Kerala Agro Fruit Products, a unit of KAICO. Those produced by Kudumbasree groups are also sold at the outlet.
Being a government agency, the company does not target huge profits and this gets reflected in the price of items.
