To control the market prices of agricultural produce during Onam, the Agriculture department has started 143 markets in the district under the name 'Onam Samridhi 2022'.
District panchayat president P.P. Divya conducted the district-level inauguration and the first sale at Kannur Civil Station premises.
There will be 107 markets run directly by the Agriculture department in 89 Krishi Bhavan limits, five farms, and six subsidiary offices. Among the remaining 36 markets, 30 are owned by Horticorp and six by the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council.
The number of markets in Payyannur block is 10, Taliparamb 15, nine each in Kalyassery, Kannur, Koothuparambu, and Edakad, 12 in Thalassery, seven in Panur, eight in Peravoor, nine in Iritty and ten in Irikkur.
Apart from vegetables, fruits and value added products produced by farmer producer companies will be available at the markets. Besides the produce of the farmers in the district, vegetables procured from farmers in Wayanad, Palakkad, and Idukki districts will also be sold here.
Vegetables are procured from the farmers by paying 10% more than the government’s procurement price, and the produce is sold at a price that is 30% less than the market price.
The markets, which started on Sunday, will continue till September 7. Horticorp's Mobile Horti Stores will also travel across seven different centres.