Exploring Operational Dynamics, Infrastructure Gaps and Strategic Interventions in Azadpur Mandi, Delhi, India

Abstract

Background: Efficient market disposal of agricultural produce is time centric interventions to preserve basic intent of quality in it. In this regard, supportive infrastructure across the supply chain and more particularly, at the market yard is quite essential to bring harmony in buying and selling practices and efficient price discovery in the system. Purpose: Azadpur Mandi, Asia’s largest platform has been facing many routine issues due to overcrowding of agricultural produce, interconnected activities and involvement of large chunk of overcrowded stakeholders in different marketing practices which need timely strategic involvements for better value creation of the consumers and responsive ecosystem at the marketplace. Research Methodology and Data Collection: Azadpur Mandi was purposively selected as it is the hub of fresh fruits and vegetables at the northern part of India. Just after the harvesting period, the mandi itself generate plethora of opportunities at the marketplace through various human oriented activities in buying and selling process. The research work dwells under infrastructural attentions, vendor density, intensity of market operations and challenges comes for the stakeholders. Fifty stakeholders, especially wholesalers, commissioner cum wholesalers and retailers were intervened through a structured schedule and data generated were processed through tabulations, frequencies, percentages and Garrett ranking technique. Findings: There was a surmount arrival of fruits and vegetables over the years at the mandi centre but caused so many remarkable issues related to parking facilities, cleanliness, high market fees, and adequate storage signalled more towards dearth in infrastructural facilities. Hike in vendor density at the market site, opens the requirements of proper parking points and ripening chambers to store the commodities that comes to the market. Conclusions: Timely infrastructural facility is the key to solve many issues at the Azadpur mandi. Without infusions of strategic interventions like desired storage facilities, timely market information and upgraded functionality of available infrastructures, it is very much difficult to add value for the stakeholders who connect with this business ecosystem.