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If plans of the Maharashtra Government fructify early 2013, Mumbaikars would soon be able to buy fruits and vegetables way below market rates.
The State Government has developed a scheme, in which private companies would soon be allowed to source vegetables and fruits from farmers and sell directly to consumers across the Mumbai metropolitan region, using mobile vans.
The Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), the apex body of the State Government for promoting agriculture products in the State, is to enter into a memorandum of understanding with several companies for directly sourcing and selling fruits and vegetables.
Speaking about the scheme, a senior MSAMB official told Business Line on the condition of anonymity, that for selling the agriculture produce, the companies are expected to target large residential colonies and other captive customers. If the scheme is successful in the Mumbai region, it would be replicated in other cities such as Nagpur, Pune and Nashik, the official said.
The MSAMB aims to eliminate the middlemen by paying more to the farmers and selling cheaper to the consumers.
For MSAMB, this is to be a non-profit venture, the official said.
The company that would do the selling needs to have delivery vans, mobile marts and back-office operations.
It also needs to have over five years experience in running a fleet of 2,000 vehicles, which is a requirement by the MSAMB.
The company in question should also have an automobile workshop and fleet management technology, which is critical for faster operations, the official added.
With the Maharashtra Government keen to develop the post-harvest sector in the State, opening up of the sector to corporate houses is bound to increase competition and even bring in some foreign players into the market.
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