The General Manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Partho Saha laid the foundation stone of two rural haats in Alubari and New Mohung villages on September 23.

The haats will be beneficial for the farmers who had been selling their local fresh vegetables along the roadside in the absence of any permanent shed or structure. These will also serve as a link between the producers and the customers, thus aiding the generation of additional income and employment at the grassroots level.

The mart will provide employment and livelihood opportunities to many SHG members/families in the district. The entire marketing infrastructure is sponsored by the NABARD’s Itanagar Regional Office.

The process of implementing the decision will be done by the Namsai Organic Spices and Agricultural Products (NOSAAP), a farmers producers company, in collaboration with the People Liberation Front of Self Help Groups, promoted by Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM).

The rural haats will have a market shed with a raised platform, a small storage room-cum-office space, toilets with water supply and sanitation facilities, solar lighting system, a solid waste disposal pit, etc.

Saha urged the farmers and villagers to utilise the infrastructure optimally and not just for one or two days a week.

He emphasised the fund collection to be systematic by a regular collection of charges by the rural haat management committee. This is in order to maintain the haats and regulate the participation of vendors.

CEO of NOSAAP Chau Athina Chauhai said that the rural haats will help mitigate the marketing hardship faced by the local farmers, vegetable growers and women SHGs to sell their agriculture and horticulture produce.

Later, the NABARD General Manager flagged off a ‘mobile mart’ van. This van will act as a market outlet for the NOSAAP. It will also help in transporting agricultural produces from the fields to the market.

He also launched a rural mart in Miao in Changlang district.

The NABARD will provide grant assistance to cover the initial operational costs, like rent and salary of salespersons, cost of promotion, and basic capital costs.

The scheme is a part of the marketing initiatives supported by the NABARD. This is to enable the producers to sell their farm and off-farm products at reasonable prices. It will help them avoid the involvement of intermediaries and the monopoly of established businessmen.

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