Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate the number of intermediaries? (150 words)
Supermarkets have emerged as an important player in the supply chain management of fruits, vegetables, and food items in India. Their role is significant in streamlining the supply chain process, ensuring the availability of fresh produce, and reducing the number of intermediaries involved in the process. Here are some ways in which supermarkets eliminate the number of intermediaries:
• Direct sourcing: Supermarkets source directly from the farmers or through their own supply chain channels, bypassing the middlemen, which eliminates unnecessary costs and delays in the supply chain process.
• Quality control: Supermarkets have strict quality control measures in place to ensure that only fresh and high-quality produce is available to the customers. This reduces the need for intermediaries who may compromise on quality for higher profits.
• Standardization: Supermarkets have standardized packaging and labeling requirements for fruits and vegetables, which eliminates the need for intermediaries who would typically package and label the produce.
• Aggregation: Supermarkets aggregate demand from multiple stores and locations, which enables them to purchase in bulk directly from the farmers, eliminating intermediaries who would otherwise aggregate demand and supply.
• Technology: Supermarkets use technology to track inventory and manage the supply chain process efficiently, reducing the need for intermediaries who would typically manage inventory and logistics.
Overall, supermarkets play a crucial role in supply chain management in India by eliminating intermediaries, ensuring the availability of fresh produce, and maintaining quality standards. Their direct sourcing, quality control measures, standardization, aggregation, and use of technology are the key factors that help them eliminate intermediaries and create a more efficient and effective supply chain process.
![Sunil is a young civil servant and has a reputation for his competence, integrity, dedication and relentlessness in pursuit of difficult and onerous jobs. Considering his profile, he was picked up by his bosses to handle a very challenging and sensitive assignment. He was posted in a tribal-dominated district notorious for illegal sand mining. Excavating sand from river belts and transporting it through trucks and selling them in the black market was rampant. This illegal sand mining mafia was operating with the support of local functionaries and tribal musclemen who in turn were bribing selected poor tribals and had kept the tribals under fear and intimidation. Sunil being a sharp and energetic officer immediately grasped the ground realities and the modus operandi followed by the mafia through their devious and dubious mechanism. On making inquiries, he gathered that some of their own office employees are in hand and glove with them and have developed close unholy nexus. Sunil initiated stringent action against them and started conducting raids on their illegal operations of the movement of trucks filled with sand. The mafia got rattled as not many officers in the past had taken such strong steps against the mafia. Some of the office employees who were allegedly close to the mafia informed them that the officer is determined to clean up the mafia’s illegal sand mining operations in that district and may cause them irreparable damage. The mafia turned hostile and launched a counter-offensive. The tribal musclemen and mafia started threatening him with dire consequences. His family (wife and old mother) were stalked and were under virtual surveillance and thus causing mental torture, agony and stress to all of them. The matter assumed serious proportions when a muscleman came to his office and threatened him to stop raids etc., otherwise, his fate will not be different than some of his predecessors (ten years back one officer was killed by the mafia) [2021]](https://www.iasexpress.net/wp-content/plugins/pt-content-views-pro/public/assets/images/lazy_image.png)
