PUNE, Dec 2: In an effort to reduce the role of middlemen in the markets for local agricultural, handicarft and dometic produces, the Pune Zilla Parishad is planning a comprehensive marketing strategy for indigenous products.The ZP effort with support from the State Rural Development Department would focus on attempt to create a sustainable market link for domestic handicraft and products through networking of the voluntary organisations, chief executive officer (CEO) V Radha said. The proposed marketing plan would be linked with Suvarna Jayanti Swarojgar Yojana (SJSY) for the rural youths.It would also strive to make the poverty alleviation programmes more meaningful. Gramotsav, a festival of handicrafts from five states recently held here, gave an impetus to the idea of linking the marketing of domestic products and the self-help schemes, Radha told The Indian Express.Representatives of a few NGOs from the district, some private firms and the ZP officials who could act as core coordinators for the scheme will be meeting here on Friday. The idea is to make available proper market places for domestic products at the weely bazaars across the district as well as in the urban and semi-urban areas, Radha said. The municipal commissioners of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have assured her to make available adequate spaces at the municipal markets, she said.She also was trying to get in touch with the agricultural produce marketing committee officials seeking their approval for marketing of the agricultural produces. Also there could be pickles, papads and other savours produced by smaller women's groups and various handicarft patterns. The farmers and other manufactures could also be given certain facilities like transporation, she added.``Some value addition could also be done, like making available packs of cut vegetables or rice or wheat packs,'' Radha said.
