TRADE

WHOLESALE TRADE CENTRES

THERE ARE EIGHT WHOLESALE TRADE CENTRES in the district viz. Kolhapur (Karvir taluka), Jaisingpur (Shirol taluka), Ichalkaranji and Vadgaon (Hatkanangale taluka), Gadhinglaj, Ajra and Halkarni (Gandhinglaj taluka), constituting roughly one market, regulated under the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1939; and Malkapur (Shahuwadi taluka). Chief commodities handled at these centres are as shown below:-

Out of these eight centres of wholesale trade, two viz. Kolhapur and Gadhinglaj are regulated markets, declared under the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1939, and Ajra and Halkarni serve as sub-markets to the main market at Gadhinglaj. The transactions of regulated commodities in these two regulated markets mentioned above are described in the relevant section. Below is an account of important wholesale trade centres.

Kolhapur.

Kolhapur.-This centre is mainly famous for gul and ground- nut but paddy, rice, jowar, chillies, gram, cotton and betel leaves also enter the wholesale trade. Gul and groundnut are regulated commodities and the former worth about Rs. 4½ crores is exported annually to Gujarat and other places.

The table below gives an idea about the approximate annual turnover-both in respect of quantity and value of various commodities arrived at Kolhapur in 1955-56:-

TABLE No. 4.

¹ One bag of turmeric weighs nearly 2½ to 3 B. Mds.

* One bag of cotton weighs nearly 1 to 1½ B. Mds.

These commodities after being brought to the market are sent to various places. The table below shows the total quantity exported outside the district as well as out of Maharashtra State:-

TABLE No. 5.

* Quantity in Bengali maunds except where otherwise specified.

Gul is exported to Bombay, Poona, Gujarat and Karnatak (Mysore State), groundnuts to Bombay and Karnatak; paddy, rice, jowar and chillies to Konkan and other parts of Kolhapur district. Turmeric is exported to Sangli.

Market charges for the above commodities levied in 1955-56 in the market are given below:-

(Unregulated commodities).

These charges are deducted in case of jowar and chillies. No such charges are taken in respect of cotton. In the case of turmeric, they are as follows:-

No charges in kind are collected in the case of foodgrains and cotton. But in the case of chillies and turmeric, charges in kind as levied in the market are shown below: -

There were 699 merchants in 1955-56 dealing in regulated commodities like gul and groundnut; all of them were licensed by the Kolhapur Market Committee. In addition, there were 275 merchants including 25 general commission agents dealing in other commodities which were not regulated.

Regulated commodities are brought by agriculturists and sold generally through the general commission agents. Sometimes they sell directly to consumers. This is also true in respect of unregulated commodities such as jowar, chillies, rice etc.

Jaisingpur.

Jaisingpur.-Jaisingpur is primarily a market for tobacco which is exported to Bombay, Calcuta and other centres. Generally agriculturists bring tobacco to the shops of general commission agents for sale. There were 38 traders including 12 general commission agents operating in the market (1955-56). Representatives of the agents go to villages for purchasing. Produce thus purchased is brought to the market by them after obtaining permission of the Central Excise Department. Superior quality is generally purchased by commission agents.

Sales in villages in respect of groundnut and chillies are also effected upto 1/10th of the total arrivals at the market.

Annual turnover, both in respect of quantity and approximate value is shown below:-

¹ A bag contains approximately 2½ B. Mds. but in case of tobacco, the weight may be (approximate) 1½ B. Mds.

These commodities, after they are brought to the market, are exported to various places. Tobacco is exported to Nipani (Mysore State), Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Konkan, jaggery to Sangli, chillies to Kolhapur and other parts of the district while groundnut is exported to Bombay after removing the shells. An idea as to how much quantity is exported and how much is retained for local consumption can be obtained from the figures given below for the year 1955-56:-

It can be seen from the figures given above that out of the total arrivals of tobacco at the market, nearly 95 per cent. is exported to Nipani (Mysore State), Madras and Konkan. Of the arrivals of jaggery 94 per cent. is exported to Sangli while nearly 70 per cent. of arrivals of chillies are consumed locally. In the case of groundnut only about 20 per cent. of the arrivals are sent to Bombay after being shelled.

Tobacco is not sold immediately after its arrival. It is sold as and when it is demanded. Generally it is sold after two to six months. Bags are first weighed twice before and after the bargain is struck. After displaying the samples, auction-sale is held. Different samples of tobacco, each weighing about one-fourth seer (value about Rs. 1-4-0 to 1-8-0) are given free of charge to prospective buyers who retain the same.

Weighment is done by the employees of the general commission agents. Empty bags are supplied by general commission agents to agriculturists and rent for the same is charged at eight annas per bag until tobacco is finally sold.

After sale is effected, payment is made by buyers to general commission agents after three months. The latter make payment to the producer [agriculturist] only after the sale proceeds are received by them from the buyers. Commission agents make advances to agriculturists for cultivation purposes and when the produce is sold finally, they recover their money with interest from the cultivators who have borrowed from them. If payment is demanded immediately the bargain is struck, the buyer usually claims a rebate (vattao) to the extent of Rs. 4-11-0 to Rs. 6-0-0. If payment is made after one month Rs. 3-2-0 as vattao is generally allowed while no rebate is permitted for payments made after three months. Godown rent charged for storing tobacco is eight annas per bag upto the time sale takes place.

I. Charges in cash levied at the market are:-

Gadhinglaj.

Gadhinglaj.-In this market, the main commodities handled are gul, groundnut, chillies, paddy, rice, tobacco, cotton etc. out of which gul, groundnut and chillies are regulated under the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1939. The total number of merchants operating in the market was 457 in 1955-56 which included 29 general commission agents and 48 wholesalers. Gadhinglaj, Ajra and Halkarni are regulated markets constituted under the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1939. The main market is at Gadhinglaj while Ajra and Halkarni are sub-markets.

Agriculturists bring their produce for sale on the market yard and sell that produce through the agencies of "C" class traders operating in the market area. Nearly 75 per cent. of the total produce is generally brought for sale on the market every year. Open auctions are held in the case of regulated commodities viz. gul, groundnut and chillies when a representative of the market committee supervises the auction-sales. Cotton is brought to the market by agriculturists and sold to merchants.

Figures of total turnover, quantity exported and local consumption of the commodities handled at these three centres in 1955-56 are given below:-

Gadhinglaj.

Ajra.

Halkarni.

These commodities are then exported to various areas in Maharashtra State and outside. Sixty per cent. of the arrivals of gul was exported to Konkan and Mysore, 25 per cent. to Bombay, Gujarat and Poona. Local consumption was nearly 15 per cent. In groundnut 60 per cent. of the arrivals was exported to Bombay, 20 per cent. to Konkan and 20 per cent. local consumption. Ninety-five per cent. of tobacco was exported to Nipani (Mysore State), local consumption being practically negligible. Similarly 80 per cent. of cotton was exported to Gokak and 20 per cent. to Kolhapur. Sixty per cent. of arrivals of chillies was exported to Konkan region and 30 per cent. to Bombay and Poona areas.

Market charges, shown, in the table below, were collected from the owner of the produce i.e., the first seller:-

TABLE No. 6.

Commission of one pice per rupee or Rs. 1-9-0 per cent. is collected on the value of the agricultural commodities sold. Customary market charges are also levied. They are 20 tolas per bag of cotton as kasar and sut on tobacco is charged at the rate of Rs. 3 to Rs. 5 per cent. and deducted from the sale proceeds of tobacco. No other charges or deductions are made in respect of transactions in the regulated commodities viz. gul, groundnut and chillies.

As regards storage facilities, there are only six pucca godowns owned by "A" class traders. Others occupy private dwelling places for storing the commodity during the season and for which charges have to be paid. For storage of gur, the rate varies from Rs. 1-12-0 to Rs. 2-0-0 per rawa, for groundnuts the rate is Re. 1-0-0 to Rs. 1-4-0 per bag while the rate for chillies varies from Rs. 1-8-0 to Rs. 2-8-0 per bhod.

For obtaining a better return with minimum costs possible, provision for transportation of goods in time is essential. There is no out agency office at Gadhinglaj. Traders and general commission agents have to go frequently to Sankeshwar, a place nine miles away, to book wagons to facilitate early despatch of goods.

Malkapur.

Malkapur- This centre is important for wholesale trade in jaggery, groundnut, onions and chillies. There were in all 36 traders-working also as general commission agents-including retailers, constituting the market. Generally the produce is brought for sale on weekly bazar days. As soon as carts loaded with gul, groundnut and onions arrive on the market days to the shops of general commission agents, the produce is examined and samples of the said commodities taken by adatyas. Prices are fixed either through open auction or by mutual negotiation. Payment is made to the seller after deducting all the market charges.

Annual turnover both in respect of quantity and value is shown below: -

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