Noida’s wholesale vegetable market will open only for three hours daily

From Wednesday, the wholesale market for vegetables and fruits in Noida Sector 88 will now be open only for three hours. The timings have been changed due to the

From Wednesday, the wholesale market for vegetables and fruits in Noida Sector 88 will now be open only for three hours. The timings have been changed due to the reduction in number of vendors visiting the market as many vegetable sellers have left for their home towns in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.

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“The market will be open for only three hours from 4am to 7am from Wednesday onwards. Presently, the market is functioning from 10pm to 6am. Shop owners had requested the change in timings as vendors usually come in the wee hours. Also, earlier over 400 trucks were arriving at the mandi, but now less than 200 truck-load goods are being sold,” said Santosh Kumar Yadav, secretary of Noida Mandi Board, on Monday.

Regarding maintaining of social distancing, Yadav said, “We are trying to maintain it as far as possible.”

There are a total of 115 shops in the mandi which sell vegetables and fruits.

However, shop owners at the mandi complained that the visiting vendors do not follow the social distancing norms. “When we try to stop them, they start quarrelling with us. But all visitors are being given entry through the sanitization tunnel,” said Mange Ram Sharma, a representative of Shop Owners’ Welfare Association.

Raj Singh, another member of the association, said that there’s a fall in the number of sellers as well as buyers by more than 50%. “Hence, we requested to reschedule the timings of the market. Three hours in the early morning are sufficient as only a few buyers and sellers would come at nights,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, Gajendra Tyagi, secretary, Dadri Mandi Board, said, “At Dadri, we just have 20 shops where vegetables are sold. Presently, around 200 quintal vegetables are sold daily. We are trying to maintain the social distancing norms.”

Salim, a shop owner in Dadri mandi, said, “We are operating in three shifts to maintain social distancing.”

Malkhan Singh, secretary, Dankaur and Jewar Mandi Board, said, “At Dankaur, around 15 shops sell vegetables and around 35 vendors sell vegetables at Jewar. We are maintaining proper social distance.”

Farmers complain of low price for their produce

Due to the lockdown, farmers, who sell their produce at the wholesale mandi in Noida Sector 88, said they are getting Rs 2 to 8 per kilogram for various vegetables in auctions. However, whole sellers are selling the produce for Rs10 to 15 per kg and retailers sell it at Rs 20 to 25 in residential sectors.

Virendra Dhada, farmer leader and former chairman of district panchayat, said on Monday, “Farmers bring their produce to the wholesale market. Their produce is auctioned here. For tomatoes these days, farmers normally get Rs 2 to Rs 3 per kg. They are sold at Rs 10 per kg by in wholesalers. Then retailers purchase the vegetable from here and sell it at Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kg.”

“Likewise, cucumber is purchased from farmers at Rs 5 per kg. It is sold in wholesale at Rs 10 to 15, and at Rs 20 to 40 in retail. Bitter gourd purchased from farmers at Rs 7 per kg is sold at Rs 15 to 20 in wholesale and Rs 40 to 50 in urban residential areas by retailers. While for lady fingers, farmers get Rs 8 per kg, and the vegetable is sold at Rs 15 to 20 at wholesale and Rs 40 to 50 in retail,” said Dhada.

Hargovind Singh, a vegetable farmer who came to the wholesale market, said, “In the last one week, I got a price of Rs 2 to 3 per kg for tomatoes in auction at the mandi. Now, I plan to sell my produce directly in nearby urban areas in retail.”