BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

WHOLESALE TRADE

Panvel.

Panvel is by far the biggest collecting centre of paddy (bhat) and distributing centre of rice, the staple commercial foodgrain of the district. It is a junction on the Bombay-Poona National Highway, and the Bombay-Konkan-Goa State Highway emanates from it. Consequently, the availability of easy transport facilities has contributed to the importance of Panvel as a commercial centre.

Paddy is brought from the villages in Panvel taluka and centres like Roha, Revdanda, Poynad, Dasgaon, Chowk and Khalapur. The rice-mill owners purchase paddy from the peasants, husk and process it in order to make rice ready for marketing. The mill owners export rice either directly or sell it to the commission agents who export it to the consuming markets at Bombay, Poona, Ahmadnagar and in small quantities to Sholapur, Karad and Satara. The main variety of rice is kolamb, though rata and jada varieties are also produced.

In 1960, there were 33 rice mills in Panvel taluka out of which 27 were in Panvel town. There were about 10 commission agents. The total turnover of paddy in this market may be estimated at 12 lakh Bengali maunds, and of rice 7 to 8 lakh Bengali maunds. The value of this turnover at the prices prevailing in 1960 comes to about Rs. 2,10,00,000. The period of brisk trade is from November to April.

Though Panvel is served by a regulated market, its existence is of unimportant consequence as all the sales up to January 1960 were done outside the yard of the market committee.

A large quantum of vegetables is produced in the vicinity of Panvel, acreage under them being 3,000. Chillies, tomato, val, cabbage (Kobi), coriander (Kothimbir), gram (harbara), brinjal (wangi), gowar, lady's fingers (bhendi), red pumpkin (lal bhopala), etc., are the more common of them. They are exported in trucks to Byculla (Bombay) market, from where they are distributed over the various vegetable markets in Bombay.

Trade and commerce between Bombay and Konkan is carried on via Panvel.

Mahad.

Mahad being a junction of many roads is connected with important trade centres in Kolaba, Ratnagiri and Satara districts and the Bombay markets. Most of the trade between Kolaba, Satara and the other districts up the ghats is carried on via Mahad.

The Imperial Gazetteer of India (1909) mentions that "Mahad has still a large sea-borne trade. The imports consist of salted and fresh fish from Malabar, Goa and the Southern Konkan; and dates, sugar, iron, kerosene and piecegoods from Bombay. The exports, most of them sent to Bombay, are onions, garlic, potatoes, sugar and myrobalans. Rice is carried inland through the Varandha pass to the Deccan."

Many changes have taken place since then. Much of the export-import trade between Bombay and Satara district, which was formerly carried via Mahad, has been diverted to the railways and motor transport via Poona. However, much of the trade between Kolaba, Ratnagiri and Satara districts still passes through Mahad. It is a wholesale trade centre for rice, jowar, gul, onions, groundnut oil, chillies, wheat, cloth and grocery articles. Many among the prominent wholesalers are general commission agents also.

Pen.

Since the beginning of the 20th century Pen is only next in importance to Panvel and Mahad as a wholesale market. Up to the first decade of this century a large volume of trade in salt was concentrated here. The importance of Pen as a producing and trading centre of salt is reviving again, and the salt from Pen is regarded as one of the best varieties. The sodium chloride content in it is higher, and is white in colour. There are 10 wholesalers of salt, and the total turnover of salt trade at Pen is valued at about 10 to 12 lakhs of rupees. It is exported mainly to Bombay, Poona, Ratnagiri. Sholapur, Satara and Kolhapur. Pen is famous for pohas, the nylon pohas being highly in demand. There are 12 to 14 poha factories with an annual turnover of 50,000 bags. Images of the God Ganapati are produced in large numbers at Pen, and as such they form an important item of trade. These images are exported to Bombay, Poona, Satara, Sholapur, Thana and Ratnagiri districts. Rice is, however, the most important commercial commodity in which are engaged a number of wholesalers, general commission agents and rice-mill owners. In addition to motor transport, a considerable volume of trade passes through the Dharamtar creek. There is direct traffic between Pen and Bombay by country crafts through the small Port of Antora, two miles from the town proper. Pen is a junction on the Bombay-Konkan-Goa and Poona-Alibag road's.

Other Centres of Wholesale Trade.

The other centres of wholesale trade are Karjat, Roha, Alibag, Murud, Shriwardhan, Nagothana and Poynad. Murud, Shriwardhan, Karanja, Uran, Rewas and Revdanda are the ports, from where is carried a large volume of trade. A detailed account of the commercial activities at these ports is given in the section of 'Coastal Trade'. Shriwardhan and Murud are famous for coconut and betel-nut. Cereals, pulses, grocery, cloth, stationery and cutlery are imported in these ports, while rice, coconut and betel-nut are exported. Karjat, Nagothana and Poynad are rice-exporting centres. Karjat is a wholesale market of charcoal and firewood which are sent to Bombay and Kalyan. Uran is an important centre of salt production, from where salt is sent to Bombay directly from the salt pans (mithagar). Most of the salt pans are owned by the wholesale merchants of Bombay. As Bombay is about six miles from Uran by sea route all the necessities of life are brought there from Bombay.

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