Govt wants fodder and khoya mandis deregulated

NEW DELHI: After deregulating vegetables last month, Delhi government has now proposed to deregulate khoya and fodder mandis. Both wholesale markets have been suffering losses for the past several years and officials said, with rapid urbanization of Delhi, there is no large-scale farming or dairy activity within the city to sustain them.
The wholesale fodder market is located in Mangolpuri's Tikri Kalam area.V P Rao, special secretary (development), said LG Najeeb Jung has passed orders for issuing the notification on September 24 and invited comments over the next 45 days.
Sources said, "The wholesale markets for fodder and mawa and no longer needed. Both were being sustained by loans from Azadpur Mandi which has refused support. The fodder mandi, for instance, takes Rs 60 lakh each year to run while the income is inconsequential. Due to urbanization, there is very little agricultural activity in Delhi and hence, very little supply of fodder like jawar karbi, bajra, wheat bhusa, gram bhusa, jawar and jaii green, rajka, loosan and palla. People are also not keeping too much livestock and most cattle are found in big dairies, owners of which buy fodder in bulk from other states. The fodder mandi in Delhi is barely doing any business."
The khoya mandi initially operated from near Old Delhi railway station but now runs out of a park near Mori Gate. Khoya is being brought into the city largely from Rajasthan and UP by train. "The mandi was created for bringing farmers and buyers on one stage.
When there are no farmers, there is no need for the mandi. The plan to close both mandis was first floated in 2008 but a decision has finally been taken. There is no land to operate the mandis any more and it would be in everyone's best interest to deregulate them," said a senior official.