Modern terminal markets for perishable commodities

Chennai, May 24 (UNI) Three modern terminal markets for highly perishable commodities like fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and medicinal plants, would be set up in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode under the guidelines prescribed by the National Horticultural Mission.

Dr J S Yadav, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Premium Farm Fresh Private Limited (PFFPL), which would be setting up the markets at a total investment of Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore, told reporters here today that the markets would come up in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore under private participation.

The objective of the terminal markets was to bring all farmers' organisations at collection centres for aggregation of farm produce, which would be then cleaned, graded and brought to the markets for selling through different marketing channels, including by e-auctioning and facilitating exports.

PFFPL, a Rs 10,000 crore agribusiness venture of leading businessman and hotelier Lalit Suri, would soon sign the MoU with the Tamil Nadu government, which had given in principle approval for the terminal markets.

The concept of these markets was to integrate farm production with buyers by offering multiple choices to farmers for sale of produce such as electronic auctioning and facility for direct sale to exporters, processors and retail chain network under one roof.

Each market would have above 25 to 30 collection centres covering 25 villages in a block or taluk.

PFFPL would buy lands depending on the road-load factor for setting up these markets after getting necessary clearance from the government.

The company, which had signed an agreement with the Maharashtra government for setting up a market in Nasik, plans to have 30 markets in India in the next five years.

UNI