Farmer bodies to start home delivery of vegetables, fruits

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, March 28

In order to provide farm produce at controlled rates, the farmer producer organisations (FPOs) have been allowed to start home delivery of vegetables and fruits.

The Horticulture Department has allowed 81 FPOs to procure produce from the farmers and provide door-to-door delivery to consumers.

As per the information, three FPOs in Ambala and two in Kurukshetra have been allowed to start the delivery.

Kulbir Singh, nodal officer for an FPO in Kurukshetra, said “We will be selling our own produce and of other farmers, who will show interest in getting their products sold through the FPOs. We will be covering Sector 13 and the surrounding areas of the new bus stand. If we get a good response then we will be covering more areas. The farmers in wholesale are not getting fair prices while the retailers are charging a good amount from consumers.”

“For instance, in wholesale, the tomato was sold at Rs8 to Rs10 per kg while it is being sold at Rs40 per kg in retail. We will be selling at the prices set by the administration. The farmers are not able to take the produce to markets and even labourers are not reaching farms due to the Covid scare, we will collect produce from farms and sell it from door to door,” he added.

Similarly, in Ambala, the FPOs will be soon selling the farm produce. District Horticulture Officer Ajesh Kumar said: “The department has issued a list of 81 FPOs in the state. The district administration will provide all permissions and passes so that they could move freely and provide produce to people at controlled rates. Besides vegetable and fruits, some FPOs will be selling milk products too. They will be selling as per the jurisdictions set by the district administration.”