CHENNAI: Following the Tamil Nadu Agriculturual Budget announcement, the state government recently gave nod to set up traditional food stalls in 25 Uzhavar Sandhais with a public-private partnership.

To create awareness about the traditional food items among consumers by offering traditional nutritionally rich, small grain porridges, snacks, medicinal soups, value-added snacks, Padhaneer and Neera the state agricultural department to set up traditional food stalls in 25 farmers' markets (Uzhavar Sandhai).

In the first phase, it will be set up at Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanyakumari, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nilgris, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Theni, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Trichirappalli and Vellore farmers' markets.

The state agricultural department also issued Standard Operating Procedures for setting up the traditional food stalls.

According to this, the stalls should be run only from 4 am to 1 pm.

"Medicinal soups, sardines, Sundals, small grain snacks, regionally unique food items, Geo-indexed food items, Karuppatti Coffee, Padhaneer and Neera should be sold. Along with the sale of traditional food items, the usual food items are also to be served. The stalls should be given a literary name and mention the food items on the board. They must operate within Farmers' Market regulations. Plastic bags and plastic cups should not be used, " says the SOP.

Therefore, the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary C Samayamoorthy directed the Director, Agriculture Marketing and Agri Business to take necessary arrangements to set up the traditional food stalls following the FSSAI guidelines and ensure the tender and price should be fixed in a fair manner without any irregularities.

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