Three young entrepreneurs have joined hands to launch an initiative to counter soaring vegetable prices that have put a strain on household budgets.

The initiative is not only cost-effective for consumers but also ensures fair prices
for farmers.

Rwiti Roy from Jadavpur, Ritabrata Ghosh from Deganga and Soumyadip Banerjee from Dumdum have launched ‘Janata Bazar’ – a market for farm-grown fresh vegetables. It is aimed at bridging the gap between farmers and consumers by eliminating intermediaries in a state where middlemen dominate the vegetable supply chain.

The trio’s primary goal is to establish a direct connection between rural farmers and urban consumers, promoting a “farm to plate” approach that guarantees purity and fairness.

“We aim to build a community where farmers and consumers can connect directly, creating a more equitable marketplace,” said Roy, 31, one of the partners.

“At Janata Bazar, we provide logistical support to facilitate direct transactions between these two parties, benefiting both,” she added.

Over the past two years, they have established a strong network of farmers across south Bengal. These farmers supply fresh vegetables daily to Janata Bazar counters, ensuring they are sold at fair prices to meet the daily needs of thousands in the city.

“Since there are no intermediaries between farmers and Janata Bazar, the possibility of manipulating prices does not arise. As a result, while the farmers are being paid fairer prices than those offered by the profit-driven middlemen, the consumers also getting the vegetables at the right prices thus creating a platform that better serves the needs of both the communities,” added Roy, who holds a master’s degree in social work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

She left her journalism career in Mumbai to join this venture with her friends.

Conceived by Ghosh, 37, son of a school headmaster, Janata Bazar is fundamentally driven by economic principles.

“Urban consumers often pay inflated prices without knowing the quality or origin of vegetables, while farmers always struggle to receive fair compensation. By eliminating middlemen, we have been trying to provide a logistical service to create a link between farmers and consumers,” said Banerjee, a graduate in economics and former content writer, who joined the initiative two years ago.

Every morning, Janata Bazar counters are stocked with farm-fresh vegetables that are sold at prices lower than local markets. The sale begins at 7am and continues till 1pm or until the stock lasts.

Fresh vegetables are also available in the evening between 5pm and 9.30pm.

“Currently we operate in Jadavpur, Kudghat and Tollygunge. We have plans to open two more at Bijoygarh and Kalikapur this week,” Roy said, adding that their venture was not solely profit-driven.

“While Janata Bazar is a business endeavour, our primary goal is social impact. There is something other than money in it which is thriving us or working as the driving spirit” Roy said.

“Our profit margins are minimal, covering logistics and daily needs, as we
strive to establish a new business model with a sociological aspect.”

Abu Taher Molla, a farmer in North 24-Parganas, said: “I have been growing many vegetables for the past few decades and supplying them to markets. But I never received a good price as Janata Bazar has been offering. I will be happy if I could supply my entire production to Janata Bazar and interact with the consumers.”

However, the trio feel that unless more consumers come up to support the initiative, building a community of mutual interest would not be possible.