Understanding of Farmers Market


A farmers’ market is a kind of a physical market where the farmers and the buyers meet and desired goods are transacted for cash. Just like shopping malls and departmental stores, buyers physically meet the sellers. There are no intermediaries. It’s mostly producers bringing goods to the table for the buyers. This direct dealing takes place in the structure of our traditional “Bazar” system. Some of Bazar’s practices are still prevalent in many parts of the eastern world. The farmers market is a modernized version but with the same theme of giving a platform where the buyers and the sellers meet face to face and there’s an economical transaction. 


Today, there are many farmers’ markets organized across the world and these markets are less regulated. This has been helping farmers to sell their produce, be it plants, animals, grains, or liquors. From freshly baked bread to home-cooked hearty meals, producers have been keeping everything on display where there is a demand. Usually, these markets are organized in open space, though sometimes in closed halls, and farmers/sellers get their stalls to display what they have to offer. It’s generally the farmers or the producers who participate and sometimes there might be non-producer vendors involved in supplying the fresh produce. 


The preference of organic producers for health reasons and market trends have been aiding to bring more attraction in such market displays. This practice dates back to the traditional times and the trust and satisfaction individuals have in buying directly from producers, shows how values are still ingrained in such direct dealing approaches. The benefits are applicable to both ends as for farmers, there is less transportation, refrigeration, handling, and storage cost, and for consumers, there are fresher and healthier options to choose from, and also the gathering during such markets brings community closeness. 

 

Viewpoints  in terms of Market Economy


When viewed from an economic point of view, economists argue that these markets are less efficient and therefore not ideal economic models. Also, because these markets are less regulated, the transaction takes place low key and therefore might not become a part of the country’s economic record held by the government. On one hand, aware consumers with abundant resources find a way to buy from these markets and at the very least this has been helping farmers positively. On the other hand, those same produce when packaged and sold by the wholesaler giants, it adds one more mediator and cost to the system. In a capitalistic model of operation, the global economy supports the latter approach. However, for the local economy to flourish and communities to stay connected, farmers’ markets will continue to play a very precious role.