Haat Bazar these days

In this world of emerging virtual reality and online marketing, by market we still understand that it is a place where buyers and sellers meet, interact and exchange their goods for money or commodities itself so as to meet their needs and wants. One of the market type where growers and ultimate consumers meet face to face eliminating the existence of ‘evil’ middlemen is “Haat Bazar” which usually occurs in peri-urban and rural areas. Haat bazar is usually conducted periodically; once or twice a week thereby being christened according to the day they are conducted viz; Aaitabarey, Sombarey, Malgalbarey, Budhabarey, Bihibarey, Sukrabarey and Sanischarey. Also many haat got their name based on the “tithi” of hindu calendar.

Growers get to sell their produce (usually low volume) in a handsome price and consumers get to enjoy the fresh and quality produce in lower price than in the hegemonic market place. This market system which started quite hundreds of years ago stills carries its beauty and stands tall in the present scenario of highly competitive market and era of supermarkets like Walmart, Big Mart, Bhatbhateni and many others. Farmers who usually own a small piece of land yet who enjoys marketable surplus are highly benefitted by haat bazar. Consumers too feel less cheated by retailers and middlemen. Here both the parties enjoy win-win situation. People gather in haat bazar for fun, enjoy street foods, meet friends and for many other recreational activities making haat bazar a tourist destination too for many domestic and from abroad. Some years back and to some extent still now haat is also a rendezvous for teenagers and lovebirds. 

With the advancement and incorporation of technologies in marketing, haat bazar almost got erased not until now. We can see haat bazar rising again trying to fight with the robust mega markets and highly competitive trade.

Yet these days the share of happiness from haat bazar seems to be grabbed by few traders who especially in terai region own their own vehicle, roam from one haat to another throughout the week greatly displacing the marginalized growers who have lesser ability to compete with those fortified traders. Haat bazar these days have mainly transformed into “bazar on wheels”. No wonder few consumers who can haggle enjoy better price but the haat is actually losing its essence in the perspective that the growers are actually not being able to fit themselves in the market system. The haat bazar also has been proven to be beneficial to few local pied pipers who collect the rent from the stalls in the area without actually using the collected fund to improve the overall management of the bazar. In other words, the haat bazar has been a place to hedge taxation for many seeming traders. To add, the lack of proper parking facility, being devoid of well managed shades, lack of quality assurance and monitoring have added woes not only to the management personnel but also to the consumers.

In this context, this is a high time for government to curb the unnecessary burgeoning of haat bazar and bring it into certain frame and bind it by the set of policies.

Farmer like him must benefit from haat bazar rather than well-established traders