Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Surat established in the year 1951 commenced functioning in 1952 by making the provisions under “Agriculture Act 1965 & rules 1963” in order to facilitate the sale of Agriculture produce. One of the biggest markets in Gujarat for vegetables, the market is spread over a notified area of 1, 30,511 square kms catering to entire Surat city including Choryasi taluka including 110 villages and handles the regulated commodities including green leafy vegetables, ginger, chillies, raw mangoes, turmeric, onion, tomatoes, sweet potato, groundnut, lemon, all types of flowers, fruits (orange, custard apple, banana, sapota, strawberry, pomegranate, papaya etc. The market has recorded the total arrivals of 916158 MT with a value of Rs 1051..05 crores during 2012 – 13. Approximately 6000 – 10000 people come daily for trading purpose in the market.

The current Fruit & Vegetable markets in the region are having several constraints such as inadequate sales space area, vehicular congestion, produce sold in the open leading to spoilage/wastage, non transparent price discovery mechanism, lack of storage facilities, lack of parking provisions, un-graded produce, etc. In addition to these, with changing consumption patterns and increasing health consciousness of the consumers, the per capita consumption of horticultural produce is increasing in the state and this is expected to increase the demand for the same in the region. In view to overcome the above difficulties and yield other benefits like being a catalyst for growth of horticulture in Southern Gujarat, APMC Surat intends to develop state of the art Type A Modern Wholesale Market Complex at Choryasi taluka, Surat with 26 collection centres identified at potential catchment areas under National Horticulture Mission as a Greenfield project in an area of 51 hectares. The Government of India has identified Surat district as an Agri Export Zone (AEZ) for Mangoes and Vegetables. Complementary to this identification, the Government has also taken steps to put Surat on the map of domestic airline network and the airport facilities in Surat city are being put in to use. The proposed market will have the agro and food processing units meant for export thus catering to the export demand and in turn providing remunerative prices to the farmers.

Recently APMC has inaugurated New A.C. modern retail market for fruits, vegetables, grains & Dairy products with objective to provide fresh & quality product at very reasonable price in neat & healthy environment. At Sahara Darwaja, Ring Road Surat

Ramanbhai N Patel
Chairman
Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC),
Surat, Gujarat