COVID19- Bringing out the Best in Farmers

During the lockdown there were strict curfews in Vellore district, the shops were allowed to open only from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., usually in Vellore district, there are only main markets one is the farmers market near the railway station and another is the Netaji market which is situated in the center of Vellore district .Attracting a large number of retail traders and customers from several parts of the region, Mandi Street, Laang Bazaar, Sunnambukara Street and the surrounding areas were subjected to severe restrictions even before the pandemic began to ring alarms bells. During the pandemic due to the lack of import and export of vegetables and fruits there where a rapid increase in the number of stalls by the farmers. They have set up stalls in all the places there was no particular market space the stalls were set up on the sides of the roads and there were also mobile stalls. During the pandemic. To help the people residing in Katpadi the government had made a step where a private school ground was cleaned and set up for having stalls by the farmers. This was largely done to avoid crowding in many places.

Image 1: market spaces set up by farmers in Vellore

There were about 50 to 60 stalls on that ground, following all the rules of social distancing by the government. There were many policemen on duty to look after the mobility of people in all the places. During the lockdown, the fruits and vegetables which were sold on the roads were at a very reasonable price when I enquired about the price which had a difference from the normal grocery for supermarkets the farmers to revealed that all the crops that they are selling are sown and harvested by them usually they sell those products in a larger amount in the markets and they owned to get the proper amount it for their products there will be very less amount or no amount of profit if de sells in the markets in other places. We were able to get all the vegetables and fruits at wholesale price as the products were directly from the farmers to the customers which had benefited both sets of people. People were allowed to move out of their house only for 3 days a week. The common people used to buy vegetables and fruits and all the products in a very larger amount. People were preparing the shops that were put by farmers and local grocery shops rather than supermarkets during the pandemic due to the price that are referred and the quality e of the products.

They also set up and used trucks as a way to sell vegetables which was a great initiative by the farmers association, collected the fruits and vegetables from the villages in and around Vellore district. It was a move to help the organic farmers and it was a door to door delivery service, they went along the streets to sell the vegetables to the common people.