Weekly Market:A Rare Venture of Gajapati District
Odishabarta
Paralakhemundi – In Gajapati district there are 7 blocks with 2 urban councils.Generally at Chandiput of Mohana, RUdayagiri of RUdayagiri, Nuagada & Khajuripada of Nuagada, Rayagada, Narayanpur, Jirango & Koinpur of Rayagada, Upplada of Gosani, Gumma of Gumma blocks at Paralakhemundi Municipality weekly markets functioning on various days of week.At Paralakhemundi, Rayagada & Chandiput on Saturday,Upplada on Sunday, Khajurpada on Wednesday, Narayanpur on Tuesday, Nuagada on Tuesday likewise function as per RMC(Regulatory Marketing Committee) order.From various places fruits,vegetables, forest produced like tamarind, turmeric,arhar dal & others like clothes & essential commodities like rations,iron processed goods also sold on weekly market. Besides that from bamboo processed items,good quality broilers, goats,eggs too also sold, cattles like cows & bullocks too usually sold.As border from Andhrapradesh vegetables usually come to daily market of Paralakhemundi. Particularly on festival season like Dasahara,Christmas & marriage more crowd pulled.
In tribal pockets forest & slope land produced crops like arhar & millets also sold.After procurement they celebrate festivals like ‘kandula parba’, ‘ganga parba’,’janna parba’ which are their traditional one. Cashew & maize too main production in up & medium land. These are better cash crops which enrich livelihoods of tribal community. Those are also sold at weekly market. Even from Andhrapradesh those business tycoons use to purchase,as maximum cashew factories are seen at border. They process raw cashew & sale at better price. That too mainly pineapples were huge produced in Rayagada & RUdayagiri blocks.From Brahmapur of Ganjam district on weekly markets they purchase huge quantity which too on demand.
