Odisha Fresh outlets, designed on the lines of Udyan Fresh, have failed to take off in Sambalpur city more than a year after the district administration had assured to make those functional. It was targeted to open the outlets in September last year.
The idea behind setting up the outlets was to boost vegetable cultivation in rural areas, help farmers get right price for their produce, curtail the influence of middlemen and provide fresh vegetables to consumers at reasonable prices.
The outlets were to be developed on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode at seven different locations in the city. The seven places include Shanti Nagar, Kamilibazar, Govindtola, Anand Vihar of MCL, PG Chowk, NAC office Chowk in Burla besides Hirakud.
Dhenkanal-based private firm Odisha Agro Export Limited was selected as aggregator-cum-developer to run the outlets. The outlets were supposed to be opened under the Vegetable Initiative for Urban Cluster Scheme of the Rastriya Krishi Vikash Yojana. It was also decided to form 180 farmer interest groups (FIG) in Maneswar, Jujumura and Rengali blocks of the district to procure vegetables for the outlets. The Horticulture Department had been assigned the responsibility of implementing the proposal.
Presently, in absence of any market link, the traders take advantage of the situation by offering huge advance even before the harvesting process begins and trap the farmers. The farmers are forced to sell their produce to the traders at a price fixed by them while the latter ends up earning huge profit.
Deputy Director, Horticulture, Sambalpur, Sudarshan Nanda said as Odisha Agro Export Limited had backtracked from the initiative, it was delayed. Fresh expression of interest would be floated for a new partner, he added.
However, the NGO, Citron Consultancy Private Limited which had been entrusted with the responsibility of forming FIGs, has successfully implemented it in Maneswar and Jujumura blocks.
Prasanta Patnaik