Department starts weekly organic mandi

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, November 27

City residents can explore the freshness of locally sourced organic produce at Doaba Organic Market, which started on Sunday.

The weekly mandi is the initiative of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in cooperation with Punjab Agri Export Corporation. Notably, only certified farmers by the Agriculture Department could sell products at the mandi. Farmers from Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur came to sell their produce and processed products on Sunday.

People can buy fresh, organic vegetables, jaggery, pulses, mustard oil, among other products every Sunday between 12 pm and 2 pm from Kheti Bhawan, Ladowali Road, near DC Complex, Jalandhar.

The prices of items will be decided by a committee of farmers and technical guidance will be arranged by the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture.

“It is a good opportunity for everybody. Certified organic farmers are part of the mandi. Indulge in the goodness of nature every Sunday,” said Jaswant Rai, Chief Agriculture Officer Jalandhar.

Sukhdip Hundal, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department, Kapurthala, said it was a great initiative and one must come and visit here.

Paramveer Singh Bimb from Birampur village in Hoshiarpur and a captain in Merchant Navy was part of the mandi. He said he got certified around seven years ago. “We grow vegetables, pulses and basmati on 15 acres of land. We process the products and then sell these further,” he said.

Singh has a stall at the mandi where he sells pulses, turmeric, seasonal vegetables, mustard oil and unpolished basmati, among others.

While talking about organic farming, Singh said they preferred cow-dung based farming in which they don’t use any chemical or pesticides in their crops.

“We use khatti lassi and other natural fertilisers,” he said, adding that the prices of the products were customer-friendly.

Good opportunity

It is a good opportunity for everybody. Certified organic farmers are part of the mandi. Indulge in the goodness of nature every Sunday. — Jaswant Rai, Chief Agriculture Officer