After having lived in Chennai for years, Damayanthi, a home-maker in her 40s, has not been happy about relocating to Hosur. But one thing in Hosur that has impressed her is the Uzhavar Sandhai (farmers’ market), a platform to link farmers and consumers. “I get fresh vegetables at cheap rates,” she says at the bustling market on a weekday. Another consumer at Hosur points out that “you save at least 5% in cost.”
Launched in January 2000, the Hosur Uzhavar Sandhai was among the first markets established by the Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business Department, which comes under the Agriculture Department. It is one of the large functional Uzhavar Sandhais. On an average, it handles around 47.7 tonnes of vegetables and draws nearly 5,900 consumers every day. Going by the official data for the first half of the current financial year, it is one of the three markets whose daily transactions range from ₹15 lakh to ₹20 lakh. The others are Singanallur and R.S. Puram in Coimbatore district. However, the Tiruppur South Uzhavar Sandhai tops the list of 181 markets all over the State with the daily arrival of about 92 tonnes of vegetables and ₹24 lakh in sales.
