The district administration’s effort to deliver fruits and vegetables to residents’ doorsteps is assisting farmers in selling their crop and also ensuring that open-air markets established across the towns in the district remain free of crowds.
Over the last few days, produce from farms across the district are being sold directly to residential areas in the town, while a similar system has been followed in Coonoor and Kotagiri as well.
The initiative, which is being undertaken jointly by the departments of horticulture and agri-marketing in the Nilgiris, was necessitated after the farmers complained of being unable to sell their products due to lack of movement of freight between districts and also due to the closure of businesses due to lockdown.
To stop the farmers from disposing of their crop, the district administration had urged them to contact the Horticulture Department, which in turn was co-ordinating efforts with traders and distributors, who could sell the produce directly at local residents’ doorsteps.
Prevents crowding
In the last few days, produce-laden trucks have made rounds across various parts of Udhagamandalam town, ensuring that there are not too many crowds at the temporarily established open-air markets in the government bus stand and at the Shri Shanthi Vijai Girls Higher Secondary School grounds.
The Horticulture Department, through the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department Agency, has also procured over ten tonnes of vegetables from farmers and has been distributing to remote villages and settlements across the district over the last week.
Joint Director of Horticulture, Sivasubramaniam Samraj said that bags of vegetables, each weighing around four kg, had been distributed to remote villages and settlements in Udhagamandalam and surrounding areas.
Good response
“We have had a tremendous response from people, and have already sold more than 2,000 bags of fresh produce,” said Mr. Samraj.
