Time Sensitive Supply Chain Operations in Fruits and Vegetables Market at Koyambedu, Chennai

Presented by:- Tanya Sinha (18) Manaswe Sahoo (19) Kshitij Sharma (20) Saurabh Sameer (21)

Koyambedu

Koyambedu boasts of having one of Asia's largest perishable goods market complex called the "Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex (KWMC).

Consists of more than 1,000 wholesale shops and 2,000 retail shops. 

The market has two blocks for vegetable shops and one each for fruit and flower shops.

1. Vegetable Market is known as Periyar Vegetable Market.

2. Fruits market is known as Anna Fruits Market.

3. Flower Market.

Supply and Procurement Vegetables Procured and also supplied from and to various places of Tamil

Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi.

Fresh Garlic is imported from China while Cinnamon from Sri Lanka. Fresh vegetables are also exported to Singapore, Malaysia and

Canada.

Fruits Procured and also supplied from and to various places of Tamil

Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Apples are imported from USA, Austria and Australia. Mangoes are exported to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius

and Dubai. Fruits and Vegetables are imported/exported using Air

transportation.

Transportation and Handling Imported fruits are brought to the Anna Fruits Market after customs clearance and stored in cold storage.

Fruits and vegetables procured from various states arrive at the market late at night by trucks, mini lorries and vans.

Unloading is done by the unorganized and contracted labourers available in and around the market premises.

Handling, packing and marking of the consignments for exports is done by organized labourers of commission agents at the market. This is done for the exporters outside the market association, while the exporters within the market make their own arrangement.

Storage and Warehousing

Anna Fruit Market- exclusively for fruit

Periyar Vegetable Market- for fruits, vegetables or any other commodity from the public on specified rates.

The Periyar vegetable market is maintained by TANFED.

Distribution

Koyambedu market- largest distribution centre for vegetables, fruits and flowers in Tamil Nadu.

Wholesale merchants sell directly or indirectly through their representatives

Exporters, large as well as small retailers and individual customers visit market everyday

Transactions begin early in morning at 3 am. Peak time of wholesale distribution is between

3 am to 8 am everyday. All transactions are dealt in cash on the spot.

Pricing

Per unit basis of fixing the prices. Depends upon:1. Freshness of goods.2. Information collected from the

transport drivers/ representatives. Fixed by a group of merchants on

competitive methods. Higher the quantity, lesser the unit

price fixed and vice versa.

Supply Chain of Koyambedu Market

Farmers / Suppliers of

Various States

Suppliers of Foreign Market

Anna Fruits MarketPeriyar Vegetables Market

Flower Market

Through Roadways/ Railways

Through Airways

ExportersLarge/ Small

RetailersIndividual Customers

Proposed Management Information System

Merchants Association

Database Management/Entry

Transporters

Suppliers

Customers

Use of MIS

For the Suppliers They can inform the Merchants regarding

their products even without going there. Very convenient for the interstate and

international suppliers. Helpful for the exports.

For the Merchant’s Association Can display the types of goods available

and the prices. Deals can be done online.

For the Transporters The merchants, retailers and customers can

easily track the required and available vehicles.

Provides more organized business for the transporters.

For the Customers Can easily track the information regarding

the requirements. Even without going to the Koyambedu

market the products can be procured via online transactions.

Adopting Milk Run Logistics

Apart from Koyambedu Market, there are similar vegetables market at T. Nagar, Maylapore and Kothawal Chawadi.

All these markets can be collaborated through the Milk Run mechanism of logistics.

Mechanism of Milk Runs

In logistics, a milk run is a round trip which facilitates both distribution and collection.

Milk-run is described as a concept that is a sequential collection of goods from multiple sources and the direct service to the customers without intermediate handling features of the goods.

The main benefit higher utilization of trucks and the resulting reduction of transport costs by up to 30 percent.