The agriculture sector in the country faces several drawbacks. Wastage due to spoilage, large number of middlemen, bad condition of vegetable mandis, etc lead to an overall bad impression of the agriculture sector in the country. For the end-users, there is no easy to get re-assurance that they are getting good quality foods and vegetables; that their local vendor is not fleecing them (even a Re 1 markup over a sustained period of time can be a pretty large figure in the overall family’s budget, and especially for poor families). What is required for a lot more investment and improvement in the agricultural sector. Large retailers with their incorporation of direct contacts with farmers, providing tips and techniques for better cultivation, more cold storage for reducing spoilage is one way. Another measure that needs to be taken is the improvement of traditional vegetable markets in the country, with better information flow, more facilities, essentially measures that will help improve the lot of farmers as well as end-consumers. It seems like a measure is being taken in Ludhiana in Punjab in this regard, which is a great move:

After industry now it’s the turn of agriculture to record major advances in this ‘Manchester of India’. The construction of Punjab’s first ‘model vegetable market’ in the city spread over 55 acres has reached the final stages and will be completed at an investment of about Rs 70 crore. The first ‘model market’ will have 5 cold stores with 50 mt capacity.
To purify vegetables and fruits two machines with the latest technology will be installed in the market and 50 electronic boards displaying rates of major vegetable markets in the country will also be set up. “A whopping sum of Rs 70 crore would be invested on the modernisation of the Ludhiana vegetable market alone, while in rest of the state we will invest Rs 260 crore on revamping 124 markets.

This is a great move, and should help everybody. Agriculture is still the primary livelihood for a sizable section of the population of this country, as well as being a big part of the budget for poor families.