Performance score to estimate agricultural market hygiene and infrastructure

Abstract

Farmers and consumers faced challenges (such as lack of market infrastructure, lack of proper marketplace, dust, dirt on agricultural produce, unhygienic market conditions, unsuitable climate conditions) when it comes to the sale, purchase of agricultural produce in agriculture markets. Every year newspapers are filled with the poor conditions of agriculture markets, describing how badly they perform. Have you ever given thought what if these agriculture markets (local, national, or international) are graded based on the performance score for hygiene and infrastructure so that one can select which one to pick further for sale purchase? If yes, present work answers this question using an Agrometric scale, a questionnaire-based approach to mark the performance of agricultural markets in one standard format. Performance evaluation serves two main purposes for the agriculture-based studies: i) to survey the markets from consumer perspectives, (ii) to help agriculture administration officers to give each market a score after every inspection within a few minutes to a day depending on the size of the market area. This evalauation tool only required addition of numbers as mathematical method towards analysis. This work helps the administrative sector of agriculture markets and consumers themselves to access the operating conditions daily. Further, the researcher can refine the approach as per changing demands (food policy, acts and related factors of market) and needs of market operating conditions country-wise on a large scale where intensive research for performance is the need of the time for extending this work for future study. This work is supported by an analysis report showing grading of twenty-nine different agriculture markets. Based on this analysis, recommendations given as markets should equiped with management of traffic to avoid road blockage by providing enough parking space for vendors, visitors, consumers and employees nearby operating places of agriculture markets, and should provide enough storage facilities. Suggestions towards hygiene of markets as each market must have at least temporary brick flooring, two dustbins for dry and wet waste management, a good drainage system specifically during heavy rain, and facility of temporary storage or shed system to protect the produce from the worst climate conditions, facility to deal with stray animals. In case of local or TFE markets, these must run with at least boundaries having entry and exit gates, and large dustbins to deal with waste, nearby drinking water and toilet facilities for use, or temporary arrangements made available. As a note to administration, each evaluation should be reconsidered according to different weather conditions.