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Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009
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Rural mart inaugurated

BERHAMPUR: The first NABARD-sponsored rural mart in Orissa was inaugurated in the city on Monday by the General Manager of its Orissa region, M.K. Mudgal.

The rural mart is meant for the Ganjam District Flower Growers’ Association and it would benefit over 150 members of this cooperative of flower growers in the district.

Speaking to newsmen during the inaugural, Mr. Mudgal said similar rural marts would be opened in every district of the State. There would be five to six rural marts in each district.

The aim of rural marts is to help the producers in unorganised sector to get optimum prices by providing them negotiation power through a proper platform for marketing. The scheme was introduced in 2005 on pilot basis in nine states and later it was extended to all states during 2006-07. But the rural marts have reached Orissa too late in comparison to other states.

A major objective of the project is to facilitate marketing linkages for the artisan, handicraft and agro-based products through setting up of a retail outlet.

According to Mr. Mudgal, the NABARD will cover the total risk and investment involved in the initial stages of setting up of a rural mart at any place.

The secretary of the flower growers’ association, Sridhar Verma, said the rural mart would be a great boost for floriculture, which is picking up in the region. It was a long standing demand of the association for a mandi for flowers along with cold storage facility to be opened up in the city.

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