Jagtial: Traders usually take all precautionary measures to avoid being cheated by customers. However, a farmer has come up with an innovative idea — relying on the honesty of his customers rather than on any middleman or an employee to sell his vegetables.
A native of Laxmapur of Jagtial mandal, Edmala Mallareddy, a farmer, set up a vegetable stall near Jabithapur on the Jagitial-Peddapalli main road which is attracting consumers from surrounding villages.
Unlike other shops, the stall is unmanned and has a flexi banner carrying a price chart. Accordingly, customers pick up vegetables and drop the money in a box. If they do not have enough cash, they can make online payment by scanning the QR code. Mallareddy is earning Rs 300 to Rs 500 per day from the sale of vegetables at the stall.
Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Mallareddy said the shop is getting a huge response from customers. People are honestly dropping the money in the box and surprisingly, neither money nor vegetables were stolen from the shop. Asked about the absence of any person to monitor transactions, he put forward an interesting argument. He explained that he spends most of his day at the farm and has no time to sit at the stall. If a person is employed, he or he has to be paid Rs 300 per day.
“With middlemen dominating the markets, neither farmers are getting remunerative price nor consumers are spared from spending a huge amount on essentials. Hence, I decided to set up this vegetable stall where the prices are reasonable and far lesser than that in market. Consumers too are happy for getting vegetables cheaply,” he added. People who seek to purchase in bulk are advised to visit Mallareddy’s farm in the village.
Mallareddy, who is a BA, B.Ed graduate, took up the cultivation of vegetables and fruit using organic methods in his seven acres of land. He developed an integrated farm by spending Rs 15 lakh during the last three years. Besides vegetables, he is also growing fruit-bearing plants, including mango, anjeer, custard apple, papaya, guava, Kashmir apple ber and others. Chickens, ducks, rabbits, turkey chickens and other animals are also being reared at the farm.
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