BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

WHOLESALE TRADE

Cotton is the principal item of wholesale trade in Amravati district, as it holds an important place in agricultural produc- tion. According to the Season and Crop Report (1960-61) the area under cotton stood at 338,339.835 hectares (635,407 acres) while the total cereals accounted for 244,290.330 hectares (603,186 acres). Of the cereals jowar alone occupied 185,101.605 hectares (457,041 acres) while wheat accounted for 42,211.125 hectares (104,225 acres). Next in order were pulses and other agricultural crops. The main commodities that enter the wholesale trade are cotton, cotton-seed, oil-cake, jowar, wheat, tur and oil. Amravati, Chandur Railway, Dhamangaon, Achal-pur, Daryapur, Anjangaon and Warud are the principal centres of wholesale trade. A net-work of rail and road communications connects these centres of trade with the outlying agricul-tural area.

Cotton.

Of all the centres of cotton trade Amravati has long since continued to be the largest. In fact Amravati is the largest cotton market in the whole of Asia. The wholesale trade centres in the district for cotton and their annual turnover for the year 1960-61 are given below:-

The cotton produced in the district and brought from Yeotmal, Wardha, Akola and Nagpur districts is assembled at these markets. It is carried to place of assembly in tarts or trucks by the cultivators themselves or by small traders. Cotton is auctioned to the buyers, the commission agents (adlyas) helping to settle the transaction. Amravati cotton is in great demand outside and is exported to the mill centres of Bombay, Ahmedabad and Cochin.

The customary market charges and other charges which include cess, adat, weighment, municipal tax, octroi and toll tax come to about Rs. 4 to Rs. 5 per cart. The approximate number of merchants operating at the Amravati market is 65 and about 20 at each of the other market places.

Cotton trade is brisk from November to February and dull  from March to June.

Cotton-seed is bye-product in the cotton ginning factories. The wholesale markets for cotton-seed are Amravati, Chandur Railway, Dhamangaon. Daryapur, Anjangaon. Achalpur and Warud. The total annual turnover at all these markets was  valued at Rs, 43,10,532 in 1960-61, Cotton-seed is a valuable food, especially for the milch cattle, and is in great demand. It is exported to Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Saurashtra. Trade is brisk between November and February when cotton is ginned in factories. Various market charges, which include hamali, weighment, adat, etc., amount to Rs. 11 per 100 bags. The approximate number of merchants at Amravati is 25 and about 5 at each of the other market places. The price per quintal varies between Rs. 30 and Rs. 40.

Oil-Cake.

The wholesale trade centres for oil-cake arc Amravati, Dhamangaon and Chandur Railway, where oil mills are situated. The oil-cake is stored in the godowns of the oil mills.

Amravati district has an area of 18.352.980 hectares (45,316 acres) under groundnuts and 2,980.395 hectares (7,359 acres) under seasamum. Oil-cake from groundnut, therefore, features mainly in the wholesale trade. The cake is locally known as dhep. The turnover of quality oil-cake was 16,653 bags in 1960-61 and of inferior oil-cake 150,630 bags [Each bag of ¾th quintal.]. The value of the former variety was Rs. 24 per bag and of the latter Rs. 16. Small traders assemble oil-cake in the market where it is auctioned. The customary market charges include adat, cartage, terminal tax, etc., which amount to Rs. 2.40 per bag. The number of merchants at the various centres are 40 at Amravati, seven at Dhamangaon and three at Achalpur. Oilcake is exported first to Bombay and from there to the United Kingdom where it is in good demand.

Grains.

Of grains, jowar, tur and wheat are the chief commodities of wholesale trade. The wholesale trade centres are Amravati, Dhamangaon, Achalpur, Morshi and Chandur. The turnover at these centres was as follows in 1960-61: -

Grain brought in carts is assembled from the outlying agricultural areas by the agriculturists in the yard and then auctioned to the traders. The customary market charges include weighment, commission, dalali, tax, etc., and amount to Rs. 1.30 per cart. The villagers store their grain in kanagis or pevs, i.e., pits. In towns it is stored in godowns either owned or hired. The period from December to March is the brisk season for business. Jowar is exported to Gujarat and Kolhapur; unto Gujarat, Madras and Uttar Pradesh and wheat to Saurashtra.

Oil.

Edible oil features as an important commodity of wholesale trade, the centres being Amravati, Chandur and Dhamangaon. Oil is mostly exported to Jabalpur.

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