On Thursday, 285 shops in the new APMC market were inaugurated by revenue minister Chandrakant Patil. This could finally happen after the government had approved a ‘change of use’ to include sale of processed agriculture products.

Spread over 11,230 m2, the market has shops of 27.5 m2 each. Inaugurated in 2011, the market had just been sitting there, unused, for more than eight years. A lack of adequate customer response had led to the shops shutting down.

The vegetables traders had been demanding ‘change of use’ for the market to allow not just vegetables but also agriculture-related processed food to be sold at the market. MLA Work on the shops began on August 14 last year and was completed this month.

Patil said, “APMCs wher direct farmer produce comes, should also have space for agriculture-related produce and product. The shops will cater to the products and thereby provide more self-employment and employment opportunities.We plan to strengthen the APMCs by setting up processing plants to facilitate export of agriculture related products.”