The story
The Azadpur market yard was set up under Delhi's agricultural produce marketing law in 1977 to move wholesale fruit and vegetable trade out of the crowded old city. Trucks from Himachal, Kashmir, Punjab, Maharashtra and the south unload here every night, and commission agents auction the produce to wholesalers and retailers. It sets prices for many crops across north India. Congestion has led to plans for a second yard at Tikri.
In numbers
Normal supply at Azadpur is 15,000 tonnes of vegetables a day, which fell to 9,000–10,000 tonnes during the lockdown.
Hindustan Times (via PressReader) — Sale tokens, shifting bazars to aid mandi crowd control · 2020Annual arrivals at the Azadpur market were 35.84 lakh tonnes in 1998-99.
Delhi Economic Survey 1999-2000, Chapter 20 · 2000
Ways in for a newcomer
- Sorting, grading and packing services for traders
- Cold-chain transport from the mandi to retailers and restaurants
- Supplying fruit and vegetables to hotels and cloud kitchens
- Ripening chambers for bananas and mangoes
Problems the cluster faces
- Severe congestion and waste
- Commission and handling charges
- Price swings with weather and arrivals
- Plans to shift or split the mandi
Businesses to start here
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Shop →Cold Room (2 × 10 MT) for Fruit and Vegetables →Cold Storage (Potato, 2000 MT) →Organic Vegetable Export Business →Fruit and Vegetable Canning Unit (Mango Pulp, Curried Vegetables) →