Where quality wins the vote

India’s retail explosion is a story that has been told and retold to death. It speaks of glass and steel aisles which promise shopping carts and Washington apples, membership cards and saran wrapped perfection. Grocery shopping will never be the same again as India’s middle class trudge up the stairs to the supermarkets leaving behind the days of the subzi mandis and the kirana dukaans far behind.
Observing the sprawling open space of Rythu Bazaar in central Mehdipatnam therefore, is almost like going back in time. However far from being a forgotten relic of another era, it bustles with life and activity like it did when it was started a decade ago. Underneath the bustle are stories of livelihood like that of 38 year old Jayamma. A cultivator who comes from Amdapur to sell vegetables, her day begins at 8 am in the morning and goes on till 7:30 pm. The business is good and fetches her enough money to support her family. All over India, the coming of the retail chains threaten to put a dent to this picture of contentment. But the sellers at Rythu Bazaar are unfazed. Their fair pricing coupled with an abundance of quality stock has managed to reign in the customers and keep them there.
Raju, 27 from Amdapur is confident when he says “they have their own customers and I have my own”. Due to the difference in rates and quality, he feels people prefer vegetable vendors to the super markets. Unorganized vendors also tend to be more accountable to their customers in terms of maintaining quality of stock. Raju adds “They (supermarkets) are rich, loss of customers won’t affect their business but if I don’t bring in fresh vegetables, my customers will be dissatisfied and won’t return to me”. Ibrahim, 50 who brings in vegetables from farms in Ekarabad, Shankarpalli, Vikarabad and Moinabad remarks with candour “Reliance ka naam khali fresh, Idhar saman fresh hai.”
Proponents of customer satisfaction should know that the lack of air conditioning has not deterred the loyal. Though many would probably like a more comfortable shopping experience, quality wins out. Vijaya Lakhmi, an accountant who comes here because of the fresh vegetables feels that “there isn’t much of a difference between the prices of the retail shops and the bazaars, so it hardly matters where one shops.” She prefers the bazaar because it is closer to her workplace.
The farmers market which began in 1999 as an initiative to bring the cultivator and the customer in direct contact without the middleman eating away into the formers’ earnings. The venture has been a huge success with over 1500 farmers registered with the bazaar and around 350-400 of them operating at the market on any given day. At present there are around 9 Rythu Bazaars function in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.

B. Chennaiya who is the supervisor claims with no modesty “The Rythu Bazaar located in Mehdipatnam is the number one in AP.” As supervisor his job is to ensure that the market runs smoothly and monitor sales to make sure no one sells above marked rates. Chennaiya says that the market has proved very profitable to the farmers with the removal of the middleman whom hitherto they had to pay commission to. The cultivators are usually independent farmers with small land holdings. The success of the bazaars has had its impact and forced several retail markets to lower their prices many times.
Accountability is a driving factor behind the functioning of the bazaar with checks being conducted regularly. Customer complaints and grievances are also considered and acted upon. Rythu Bazaar emerges as a stellar example of fruitful interaction between the unorganized farming sector and the state. It poses as a viable solution to the boost the latter’s prospect and gives it the much needed edge over the retail chains and help them compete on a levelled platform.