By March 17, 2022

“Vashi APMC” as many fondly call it is the hub for trade of food commodities. Established in the year 1977, Mumbai APMC is one of the largest APMCs in India. Based in New Mumbai, MAPMC is spread across 72.5 hectares and is comprised of 8 markets for Fruits, vegetables, dry fruits, spices, condiments, pulses and grains. Besides, there are 3 auction halls and more than 3790 shops and several offices.

I have been visiting MAPMC for many years. It is a treasure trove for buyers looking for any food commodities. I visited MAPMC was to scout for reputed exporters and importers of fresh produce. It is considered to be a hub for export, import and domestic trade. One will get to see multiple traders, retailers and exporters in the market. There are several packhouses and cold storage in close proximity to the market. This enables the exporters to carry out grading, sorting and packing in the market area. Also, importers use these cold storages to store exotic fruits that are imported from various countries around the world. They are then distributed to retailers and modern trade outlets

Since Mango season has commenced and Maharashtra is a leading producer of Alphonso Mango, numerous traders were seen selling, buying this fruit on the basis of its quality, size and other specifications. Besides Mango, the market was filled with various other fruits and vegetables such as Watermelon, Muskmelon, Green Chilies, Cucumber, Ginger, etc.

MAPMC is 33 km from Nhava Sheva port – the largest container port in India. Having proximity to the port has resulted in many businesses in the APMC flourishing. Both exporters and importers can save on the ever-increasing transportation costs. This also has a direct impact on the quality of produce that is either imported or exported since the transit time is significantly reduced.

Finally, after spending more than 6 hours in APMC it was time to head back. Even though I had skipped lunch for the day, I was not feeling hungry. Thanks to several cups of tea offered by the traders. Overall it was a day well spent since I got to meet a lot of reputed and potential exporters and importers who will be onboarded to our FUB platform soon.