Panchkula (Haryana): Asia's largest apple market is being set up in Pinjore in Haryana, which will be built on 78 acres of land at a cost of about Rs. 150 crores. The Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board will develop it as a fruit and vegetable market in addition to Apple market, on the similar lines of Azadpur Depot in Delhi.
Pinjore market will be bigger than Azadpur Depot
Currently, Asia's largest apple and fruit market is in Azadpur Depot in Delhi. This market is built on 72 acres of land. Farmers from Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir go to Chandigarh, Panchkula and Delhi Azadpur Depot to sell apples. Transportation incurred is also very high. Meanwhile, toll plazas and police blockades are also a big challenge for farmers.
Farmers will save time and money
As the apple market is made in Pinjore, Panchkula, farmers will get relief from various problems. The distance from Panchkula to Delhi Azadpur Mandi is about 250 km. It takes farmers an average time of more than 6 hours to cover such a distance from Pinjore because farmers have to pass through traffic jams, toll plazas and police points. Many a time the Apples are also spoiled because of the distance.
Farmers will get various facilities
The distance from Himachal to Pinjore is about 90 kilometres, which means that once the apple market comes up in Pinjore, farmers will save on time; and secondly, they will spend lesser on transport and the thirdly they will get relief from toll tax and police points. It will be Asia's largest apple market in terms of the market area, surpassing even Azadpur market. There will also be facilities for cold storage and controlled environment storage. Apart from these, parking will also be arranged for traders or farmers.
Farmers will also be able to sell fruits, vegetables and flowers
After the harvests arrive in the market, Apples will be sold in different parts of the country, which will benefit the apple farmers. Along with this, employment opportunities will be created for the youth. This modern apple market will prove to be a major centre of trade for apple-producing farmers not only from Himachal Pradesh but also from Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from apples, other fruits and vegetables will also be sold in this market. Farmers will be able to earn more profit by selling fruits, vegetables and flowers on the lines of Azadpur Depot in Delhi.
BJP MLA and Haryana Assembly Speaker Gyanchand Gupta expressed happiness about the plan of building the market. He said that the opening of Apple market here will lead to the development of this region. With the opening of the market, shopkeepers, traders will get a good opportunity to do business; and the producers of apples will also get a good price. Along with the arrangement of transport, there will also be cold storage facility and every other type of facility which will be beneficial for the farmers.
