With agriculturists finding it difficult to sell their produces owing to the COVID-19 countrywide lockdown restrictions, the Department of Horticulture launched a programme here on Monday to supply vegetables and fruits at consumers’ doorsteps across the district.
It would also help in preventing people from visiting market areas to buy horticulture products, said Mandya Deputy Commissioner M.V. Venkatesh, while inaugurating the programme.
There are 30 Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) outlets in Mandya district through which the farmers are selling several tonnes of fruits and vegetables every day.
Following the lockdown restrictions, imposed as part of measures to combat the spread of novel coronavirus, many growers are expressing inability to dispose of their products. Incidents of growers dumping tomatoes and sapotas were recently reported in the district.
On the other hand, shortage of supply and the impact of panic buying have been making people spend more money for buying fruits and vegetables.
On Monday, the mobile markets of HOPCOMS sold several hundreds of kilogrammes of watermelon, muskmelons and other produces at different parts of the town.
The department would supply varieties of horticulture produces to the doorsteps of people across the district, the Deputy Commissioner said.
Deputy Director for Horticulture Raju, district HOPCOMS director Darshan, and others were present.
