My Mandi - 16-May-2022

I have been coming to the Mandi for over 25 years now. Waking up mostly around 4am to reach the mandi by 4:30am. That's when the action starts. Most auctions take place around 4am, they run till 6am. During this hour not only local vendors but even big traders from nearby city like Panipat, Agra, Ambala, Amritsar come here to buy cheap vegetables. 

I have realized over the years that the market volatility is not only demand and supply but also a lot depends on the arrival of the vegetables and fruits. Timely arrival can either save the farmer a lot of money or he can also loose a lot. The Ardthi (Main Auctioneer) gets his commission 7-8% on the sale value, he cuts this amount from the money he pays to the farmer. The money is put up there and then to the farmer. The Auctioneer then collects the money from the people he has sold the material too over a period of 30 days. That's the standard credit that rotates in the mandi.

Over the years the farmer has become smart, with the use of mobile phones he can now keep a track of the price of the produce he is growing. He then decides where he can make the most profit. This has been a game changer for the agriculture sector. The farmers over the years have made a lot of money and the main reason behind this is mobile phones.

I would like to share one event every time I write a blog.

TOMATOES Prices rising.

Due to the extreme temperature the local belt which produces tomatoes has seen fruit dropping. The tomatoes have not been able to hold on to the stem and so there has been a huge shortage in production. Till Feb - Mar the production was excellent and the price was expected to be normal, but things have changed in the last 5-6 days. We shall see a shortage for another 15 days. Price of good quality Hybrid tomatoes will be around Rs35-38 per kg. We shall see this price drop by end of this month.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Anish