Advantages of marketing fecilities to farmers

Advantages of marketing fecilities to farmers

Farmer is the only man in economy who buy all products in retail, sells everything in wholesale and pays freight both ways.
                --- John F.KF.Kennedy.

Background: Farmer has been at lossing end since ages.The profit of the middle men is much more than the farmer.We always hear about the suicides of the farmers.But, we never hear about the suicides of the middle men.They indiscriminately increase or decrease the prices paid to farmers and selling prices to the consumer.  
Food is the third most important requirement of the human being after air and water.But, its producer don't get the correct returns.Return of the Investment is a distant dream.As rightly pointed out by kennedy, farmers sells in bulk at low prices, except a few intelligent.
Here, i would like to share the case studies, i encountered in my profession and my life.

Case study -1:

During the summer season of 2013, B.Srinivas, Municipal Commissioner, Khammam (myself)had called for the meeting of the wholesale mango sellers.He requested them to stop the artificial ripening. But, they answered that the artificial ripening starts at the stage of imporing in the lorry.They also told that ripening chambers are not available. I understood that they are not in a mood to co-operate for natural ripening and decreasing the prices of mangoes.
Horticulture department has came up with a proposal to let out the Pavilion Ground for the mango farmers to arrange the mango mela.They brought the letter from the District Collector for the same. Immediately, i arranged the ground at the free of cost.The marketing fecilities were arranged for the wellbeing of the farmers.Even after the end of the mango mela, i arranged the marketing fecilities to the mango farmers. Subsequently, during the 2014 summer also the same fecility was extended.

Advantages :

1.The fruits were made available to the people of khammam city at low cost.
2.Farmers also profited by selling their mangoes at retail prices.
3.Consumers and farmers got the assured and earmarked place for mangoes selling and purchase.
4.Quality of mangoes were assured by avoiding the artificial ripening.
5.Different types of mangoes were available to the consumer.
6.The prices of mangoes were stable throughout the season.
7.Selling prices came down , when consumer bought more than 5 Kg mangoes.
8.The word of Khammam municipal corporation prevailed in fixing the prices of mangoes.

Case Study -2:

Hyderabad is the International City in making. It is accomedating the rich and poor in the similar manner.A person with less than 5000 Rupees can live in this city.
Presently, i am living in the Gandhinagar area.It is surrounded by many poor localities.In the leisure time, i use to go to market to buy fruits, vegetables and flowers.On every Sunday, there used to be a weekly fair near the Gandhinagar post office. I observed that the prices of vegetables are lower to 50% on the weekly fair day.

The reason may be simple that the vendors get a platform to sell in huge quantity. Poor get the opportunity to buy in more quantity at once and preserve those goods..New vendors for the purpose of weekly fair may be there and who don't like to upkeep the perishable material and lowers the price, as the night is passing.
Also, i had seen disposing the lemon worth 30 to 40 rupees worth at 10 rupees at 9.30 p.m., while he was returning home.

Also, new vegetables may arrive from near by areas for the purpose of weekly fair and it might lower the prices.
It is pertinent to mention that 1/4Kg is sold at 10 rupees and 1/2 Kg is sold at 15 Rupees.It allows the consumers to purchase more quantity. This enables the sellor to avoid perishing of vegetables, etc.
Whatever the reason, the prices of vegetables, fruits and flowers are available at about 50% lowered price than normal days in weekly fair near Gandhinagar post office.

Case study-3:

I am native of Khanapur village. The The Angadi (fair) runs for two days in a week. That is on sunday and wednusday.The vegetables comes from the neighbouring fertile villages.The prices of vegetables are quite low on these days.
I have my friends in the neighboring villages. They used to brief me that the cutting/plucking time of the vegetables, fruits and flowers are adjusted to the fair days of sunday and Wednesday.
Advantages :
1.It assures the marketing fecilities at assured place and time both for farmers and consumers.It enables the farmers to adjust the harvest days.
2.The prices of vegetables, etc.are less compared to other areas.
3.It avoides the middle men to the extent possible and farmers use to sell at retail prices and get more money.
4.It also avoids the hacking on roadsides and avoids traffic jams.
5.All the Goods are available at one place.It avoids wastage of fuel.
6.The wastage of vegetables would come down , as assured days are available both to consumers and farmers.
7.It is opportunity to the farmers to buy their requirements at one place.
8.Fresh vegetables ,fruits and flowers are available to consumers.
9.More kinds of vegetables, fruits and flowers are available on those fair days.

Case Study-4:

Khammam city is one of the fastly growing towns after Hyderabad. The prices of vegetables, fruits and flowers are high compared to other cities.
The reasons I observed are as follows :
1.One Vegetable market and one Rythu Bazar is available in the khammam city.One Rythu Bazar is to be opened soon..In my opinion, there should be 3 more markets in khammam city.
2.Fruit market is not available.
3.venders sell on the road side and become an easy prey for unethical people..There by sell at higher prices.
4.There are no marketing fecilities in three town area and musthafanagar area and also in newly developing areas.
5.There is no substantial vegetable farming upto 20 Km distance. There by face burden of transportation charges.
6.There is no system of weekly fairs ,there by not allowing bulk sales and purchasing of vegetables.
7.Markets are not integrated . people has to go around different places for different commodities of vegetables, fruits, chicken and mutton, etc..There by allowing price rise.

Conclusion:
Thus, it is very clear that the assured marketing fecilities would provide more income to the farmers and made the Quality goods available to citizen at low cost.

Clarification:

When SHG women is able to buy the groceries, especially rice at lower price in bulk atonce, why it is not happening in case of harvest requirements such as tools, plants, pesticides, etc . Can't we make them into homogeneous groups to do all these activities?