GURGAON: The Millennium City on Sunday got its first taste of organic produce being sold in a weekly market, where consumers brought vegetables and fruits directly from farmers, thereby taking middlemen out of the equation.

Organized by the Sushant Lok RWA at the community centre, the market brought together 11 farmers from nearby areas like Sohna, Damdama and Faridabad, who sold lab-tested organic produce to the residents.

The farmers were allowed to charge customers 20% higher than what they charge a middleman. "If a farmer sells the produce at Rs100 per kg to a middleman, we allowed him to sell it for Rs120 per kg to the customer, who normally gets it at mark up of 50-60%," said Sudhir Sachdeva, a member of the RWA.

Adarsh, a farmer, said that contrary to popular perception, costs are lower in organic farming, and it is only the demand-supply dynamic that drives up prices. "Farmers use manure, neem oil and earthworms to increase soil fertility. Such fertilizers and pest-control solutions are easily available at affordable prices," he said, adding that if such markets are held regularly, the cost would come down.

Sachdeva, who floated the idea of an organic market, said that while packed foods contain certification of 'organic produce', there was no check on vegetables in the markets. He said that the RWA members visited the farms and got the samples tested before allotting them space. Ravi, who owns a four acre organic farm in Sohna, said, "One should visit a farm to personally check whether vegetable are organically produced. I am glad that representatives from the RWA visited my farm. It helps in gaining trust of the customer."

And judging by the enthusiastic response, the organic market is here to stay. On Sunday, over 300 people shopped at the market with around 350 kg of vegetables and fruits being sold. Sachdeva said holding the market near the Raahgiri venue also helped in getting it noticed as many health-conscious people visit the area.

The RWA plans to hold the organic market every Sunday, and if the response continues to be encouraging, a daily market may also be in the offing. "The idea is to make it bigger and better. Next week, we will organize a health talk for elderly and a gardening session for kids to teach them to grow fruits and veggies at home. The session will be taken by the farmers," said Sachdeva.

Although Sachdeva said that there are currently no plans to collaborate with other associations, some RWAs have welcomed the move. RWA president of Sector 15 (Part I), Ramesh Vashisht said they too would be keen to organize an organic market in their society.

President of Sector 14 RWA, K S Yadav, said, "We organize a vegetable market every Thursday and Sunday. Having organic produce in the market is a good idea. But it is important to ensure that the produce is actually grown organically."

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Gurgaon gets first organic food market, minus middlemen