The country’s first two Village Super Market (VSM) for agro-products are going to be introduced in Khulna and Jashore shortly in order to eliminate the influence of middlemen and ensure safe food.
Solidaridad Network Asia, a Netherland based supply chain development organization, has already conceptualized the idea of VSM at Dumuria in Khulna and Monirampur in Jashore and expected to start the operation from next month.
Each of the super market compounds will be around 86,000 square feet having an auction center of about 20,000 Sq Ft. Construction of each of the VSM will cost about Tk 12.5 crore.
The authorities have already started trading at the Dumuria VSM from April last on test basis and expected full swing operation from next month. Construction works of VSM at Monirampur is going on in full swing and the authorities hope to start the super market also from the next month, said the chief architect of the project.
The super markets will come with a smart solution for both the farmers and agro-businesses through promoting backward and forward market linkages. In these markets Agro-businessmen will be able to buy their desired products directly from the farmers which will also help farmers to have fair prices.
The market will be equipped with all necessary facilities including testing lab, packaging house, cold storage, chiller facilities, ice meal, fresh room, women rest room, breast feeding corner, adequate car, pickup and truck parking places and loading and unloading spaces, said SM Nazimuddin Payel, principal architect of the project also an assistant professor of architect department in Khulna University.
“More than 50,000 farmers in the area would be benefited from the market as they could display and trade their products everyday in the market directly to the businessmen,” he said adding that it will be a platform for both of them.
The farmers and businessmen will have smart cards where all the trading history will be preserved. None will be able to participate in the trading without the smart card, said the architect.
The super market are being designed with a concept to enter huge number of natural light and wind that will help to keep agro-product fresh for a long time.The VSM will be a rural agri-business hub to transform the present agro -market system into a farmer’s friendly business hub, aiming to benefit both farmers and the supply chain actors.
Each of the VSM will be equipped with 30 auction centres, 3 QC certified depots, sorting and grading space, washing facilities with HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) guided packing house, he said.
The market place will have quality input and extension service provision along with information centre and formal banking facilities, twenty four hours surveillance system and other modern facilities. It will be a regional market hub for the agro producers for trading their farm product and contributing to sustainable agricultural and rural economic development.
