Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, OP Dhankar on Thursday said that the State Government is in the process of setting up four big mandis in the state to facilitate the farmers in selling their produce at remunerative prices.
“Out of these, work of setting up 600 acres Ganuar Mandi in district Sonepat is in progress. Besides this, a flower market in Gurugram would be established with the co-ordination of international flower market, Rio de Janeiro to cater the demand of flowers for NCR region,” said Dhankar while addressing the mediapersons after the inauguration session of 32nd World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Conference at Gurugram.
He said that a Masala mandi would also be set up in Sonepat and an apple Mandi would be set up in 250 acres at Pinjore.
About the conference, the Minister said that world level conference is organised for the first time in our country which would help in taking progressive decisions in the interest of farmers and the consumers.
19 countries are participating directly in this conference including representatives from China, Spain, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, America etc. besides representatives of Embassies of various countries. In addition, representatives from Indian states including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Orissa, Goa, Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana are participating in this world level conference.
Talking about strengthening the mandis in the state, Dhankar said that modernizing the big mandis of the country would be deliberated in detail in this conference
The Minister said that a market of about Rs 2000 crore is flourishing on expressways in Haryana but these are unorganized and the fruits are sold unpacked whereas in Himachal Pradesh, the farmers sell their produce after packaging them.
Besides this five new cities would be developed under Panchgram Yojna on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal express way (KMP) Express way, which would increase the possibility of more such market opportunities, he said.
Chairman, WUWM, Zengjun Ma said that India and China are neighbouring countries and he has visited India for the first time.
Zengjun Ma expressed hope that after this conference, the wholesale market in India would be upgraded.
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Parshottam Rupala inaugurated the two-day 32nd World Conference of World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) being organized in Gurugram.
Speaking on the occasion, he emphasized the need of adopting international marketing strategies by the farmers and said that linking of national agriculture market with WUWM would contribute significantly in development and welfare of farming community.
Rupala said that farmers would be made more resourceful through linking of e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) system with WUWM.
He said that the suggestions received in the two-day conference here would go a long way in taking concrete decisions in the interest of farming community.
Today Haryana is producing rice more than the prescribed quantities of international standards, which is a significant achievement but there is a need to link it with international trade markets, he added.