Organic mandi a hit on Day 1, sales cross Rs 40K

Chandigarh, November 6

The first organic mandi started by the Chandigarh Agriculture and Marketing Board proved a hit on Day 1 as a large number of residents visited the stalls set up on the premises of the market committee in Sector 26 today. Farmers were satisfied with the response.

Sources said a sale of approximately Rs 40,000 was recorded today. Gurprakash Singh, a farmer, said though it was just the first day of the mandi, he was satisfied with the response of the people to the organic items displayed for sale. Hailing the initiative of the Chandigarh Administration, Gurprakash Singh said he had been producing organic vegetable on 9 acres near his village in Mohali. “As awareness spreads, more people will come to the market,” he said.

The Chandigarh Agriculture and Marketing Board has decided to hold the organic mandi every Monday,  a holiday in the vegetable market. Manoj Kumar, a farmer from Himachal Pradesh, said he sold items for over Rs 5,000 today. From fresh vegetables and fruits to spices, a number of items have been made available at the organic mandi.

Manoj Kumar Sharma, secretary of the market committee, said there were many farmers around the city who produced organic food items, but never got the right platform to promote their stuff.

He said if the response was encouraging, they might “increase the days of the mandi”. — TNS