Hyderabad: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will lay the foundation stone for the Koheda International Fruit Market on Saturday, marking a major milestone in Telangana’s agricultural marketing sector.
Ahead of the ceremony, Agriculture and Marketing Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao reviewed the arrangements on Friday and issued directions to officials for the successful conduct of the programme.
The Minister said the Koheda International Fruit Market would emerge as a world-class facility and serve as a model for the country. He added that the project would provide comprehensive services to farmers, traders, exporters and consumers under one roof.
The government will develop the market across 239 acres at an estimated cost of ₹3,367.35 crore. According to the Minister, the project reflects the State Government’s commitment to farmer welfare, better price realisation and modern agricultural marketing infrastructure.
Koheda International Fruit Market planned as world-class hub
Tummala said the government aims to ensure market access for every agricultural product grown by farmers. Furthermore, the project seeks to increase the value of farm produce and improve farmers’ incomes.
He said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy initiated the prestigious project with a long-term vision to strengthen agricultural marketing in Telangana. Therefore, planners designed the market to meet future requirements for at least the next two decades.
The Minister noted that Telangana’s agricultural marketing system has evolved into one of the most effective systems in the country. He said the Agriculture Marketing Department currently oversees 206 Agricultural Market Committees and 79 sub-market yards across the State.
According to official estimates, these markets facilitate agricultural trade worth nearly ₹80,000 crore every year. In addition, market committees play a key role in protecting farmers’ interests, developing market infrastructure, disseminating price information, managing Rythu Bazaars and supporting minimum support price procurement operations.
Tummala recalled that Jambagh, Gaddiannaram and Batasingaram fruit markets played a significant role in Hyderabad’s fruit trade. However, rising trade volumes, transportation demands and consumption patterns have outgrown existing facilities.
As a result, the government decided to establish the Koheda International Fruit Market with advanced infrastructure and integrated services.
Koheda International Fruit Market to benefit farmers
The Minister said the project would directly benefit around 1.65 lakh fruit farmers across Telangana. Moreover, the market’s handling capacity will increase significantly after the project becomes operational.
Current market capacity stands at 5.30 lakh metric tonnes. However, the new facility will increase that capacity to 15.53 lakh metric tonnes.
Similarly, fruit trade turnover is expected to rise from ₹1,277 crore to ₹7,765 crore. The number of traders operating in the market is also projected to increase from 341 to 967.
At present, the market serves nearly 16,450 consumers. In the future, it is expected to serve more than 53,000 consumers.
The Minister said the market would include dedicated sections for fruits, flowers, dry fruits, dairy products, frozen foods, fish and meat products. Additionally, a specialised flower market will support 3,661 flower growers across the State.
Tummala said the integrated market would bring storage, grading, packaging, logistics, transportation and marketing services together at a single location. Consequently, crop wastage and food losses would decline significantly.
He added that farmers would gain access to transparent pricing information and better returns for their produce. Meanwhile, consumers would benefit from improved access to quality products.