Mumbai: 3 International-Standard Agriculture Markets Planned In MMR, Dapchari Among Key Sites

Palghar: Moves are afoot to develop at least three international standard agriculture markets in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and one among them is likely to be at Dapchari near the proposed mega port at Vadhavan.

Committee Set Up

A committee has been set up under the Palghar district collector to scout for around 1,000-acre land parcel at Dapchari, where the state animal husbandry department owns a huge land pool. The 11-member committee comprises the director of the state marketing department, executive director of the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (Pune), officials of revenue, agriculture, dairy development, animal husbandry, land records, regional officer of MIDC (Thane) with the district deputy registrar (cooperation) from Palghar.

The Marketing Department wants a minimum of 1,000 acres of land to set up the agriculture market of international standard, said an official from the department. The department wants to set up three markets, near Uran (Dist Raigad), Bopgaon near Kalyan (Dist Thane) and the third one at Dapchari. This will cover the entire MMR, looking at the future growth and needs.

The Dapchari market will be important given the Vadhavan Port, which is going to be the biggest port in the Indian subcontinent, he said. The state animal husbandry department owns around 9000 acres of land, of which 1200 acres of land has been allotted to a prominent industrial house by the earlier government last year. It is said that the MIDC has been asked to facilitate the handover of the land parcel to the industrial house, the name of which has been kept under wraps.

The Dapchari and the other two agriculture markets will be alternatives to the existing agriculture market in Vashi, which is said to be on the verge of shifting. The proposed market in Dapchari will boost the agricultural produce from Palghar and adjoining areas of Nashik and Thane districts, besides Gujarat and the Union Territory of Daman, and it will help to promote exports from the Vadhavan Port, the official said.