Hopcoms outlets on the verge of closure

GOING by the current trend of online platforms and private players selling vegetables and fruits procured directly from farmers at competitive prices, outlets of the Karnataka government-owned Horticultural Producers' Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (Hopcoms) are on the verge of closure.

- ASHWINI M SRIPAD @Bengaluru

As many as 140 outlets shut in the past five years. Of them, 89 were in Bengaluru.

Hopcoms was launched in 1965 to help farmers get remunerative prices for their produce and to ensure quality farm fresh products to consumers at affordable prices. There are 26 branches of Hopcoms in Karnataka -- in Bengaluru, Belagavi, Bidar, Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Gadag, Dharwad, Davanagere and other places -- where there were around 600 outlets. But the number of outlets is coming down, especially in the past two years.