State Cooperatives to enter the organic food retail market

Jaipur, Aug 10 (UNI) The Rajasthan government is all set to enter organic food retail market through the co operatives. Exclusive state cooperative stores would sell vegetables and spices grown by organic farming in the state from its outlets before year end.

The department of cooperatives would launch its exclusive organic food retail centre in the state capital as its first venture.

Registrar of Cooperatives, Sudhanshu Pant said cooperative stores would begin by selling organic products at the major cities in the state. ''The first stores to retail organic products would come up in the big cities such as Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer and so on,'' he added.

Pant said with increasing awareness the demand for organic food is on high in the cities. He said the pressure from the customers made the cooperatives to enter this organic food retail market.

''The organic food market was so heavily demand driven that big farmers have tie-ups with brands who directly procure material from them. Our attempt is also to safeguard the interests of those small farmers so that they do not have to make distress sale,'' Mr Pant said.

The government decided to sell organic food as per the budget announcement of the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Prabhulal Saini said.

''The government has allotted a separate section inside the under-construction Kisan Bhawan at the Lal Kothi. An exclusive store dealing in organic food is being opened in the Bhawan where people can get certified products'', he said.

Mr Pant said till the time organic food certification agency is in place the products would be certified and delivered to the customers through the existing brands.

UNI