Economic Impact of Stray Cattle on the Urban Vegetable Market: A Case Study of District Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai

One of the major factors affecting the agricultural marketing system in India is the steadily increasing number of stray cattle. This issue particularly impacts small vegetable vendors operating in open markets. This study has been done on the economic losses and disruptions of the local vegetable markets in town of Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district of Chhattisgarh. A vegetable market usually is a local area in India where all the vegetable vendors decorate their vegetables and sell them. They are known as Chillahar vendors or retail vendors, and their main source of livelihood is income from the vegetable market. Despite being a newly formed district, it is well-known for having a larger vegetable market than the larger nearby districts of Rajnandgaon and Kabirdham. Vegetables here are not only sold in the local market but also in neighbouring states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The local market here is very much disturbed by the stray cattle, so much so that every vegetable seller sits with a stick with him because the cattle enter here in large numbers and not only destroy their vegetables but also cause a lot of disruption in the market, which cannot be solved by the salon. The study focuses on the economic losses of the vegetable market and its impact on local vegetable sellers and consumers. The initiative of this study is motivated to find some kind of solution between the Nagar Nigam and Panchayat, and the vegetable vendors. In the policy recommendations, we suggest measures such as cattle shelters (Roka-Chhera in local language), fencing, and a cow-catching system at the entry points of local markets. This research contributes to the very limited literature available on the issue of stray cattle in markets and highlights the urgent need for policy action.