A Study on Consumer Preference and Satisfaction in Uzhavar Sandai at Namakkal District

Uzhavar Sandhai had its birth in the concept of Kal Ghoj in Russia. The former Union agriculture secretary, MS Gill on his visit to this country was impressed by this concept of farmers' market and he replicated this concept by initiating Apna Mandis in Punjab and Haryana in early 1987.8
The ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu subsequently replicated this concept in 1999 in the form of Uzhavar Sandhais. Andhra Pradesh followed suit and started the Ryothu Bazar on similar lines. Both Kallummal and Srinivasan asserted the relevance of Uzhavar Sandhais and said that it can protect the farmers from the impact of falling prices caused by opening up for cheap imports and distorted trade practices in the WTO regime. "The trade policies pursued by the government since 1990s have been taking the country towards a tariff-alone approach, which has opened the economy to large imports of much cheaper agricultural goods and has threatened the very livelihood of both agricultural labour and small farmers. On many occasions, Indian imports of vegetables and fruits have displaced an equivalent demand for the same produced in the country, which has direct impact on prices that farmers get.