BEED

Ambajogai Weekly Market, in Ambajogai taluka, operates on Thursdays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm near the central square. Farmers from twenty to thirty villages sell vegetables, fruits, sorghum, and pulses in fifty to sixty stalls. Artisans offer pottery and clay vessels, crafted by local potters, for twenty to fifty rupees. An organic farmers’ market, started in 2020, allows direct sales, cutting out middlemen. The market, a barter hub in the 1950s, grew with road access by the 1980s. It closes during Ganesh Chaturthi and heavy rains. Boutiques and tailoring shops nearby sell custom clothing and jewelry, thriving during festivals.

Ashti Market, in Ashti taluka, is an Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) hub in Ashti town, pin 414203. Open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, it trades soybeans, cotton, and pulses in auctions at sixty stalls. Farmers from forty villages supply produce, stored in sheds with weighbridges. The market, established in the 1970s, expanded with irrigation projects. It pauses during the Pola festival and emergencies. Its role in Ambajogai taluka supports regional trade.

Beed Main Market, in Bahirwadi village near Beed city, is the district’s primary APMC hub on Kurla Road. Operating daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, it handles cotton, pulses, and sorghum in seventy to ninety stalls. Farmers from fifty villages trade fifteen to twenty thousand quintals yearly. A five MT precooler and fifty MT cold storage, built in 2023, aid preservation. The market, a trade post since the 1800s, grew with railway links in the 1900s. It closes during Gudi Padwa and monsoons. Textile shops sell Paithani sarees, and jewelers offer gold items, busy during weddings.

Beed Mall, on Beed city’s outskirts, operates daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. It houses twenty to thirty shops with national and local clothing, electronics, and household brands. A food court serves bhakri and sabji, and a children’s play area draws families. Opened in 2015, it reflects modern retail growth, unlike age-old bazaars. It remains open during festivals, closing only for emergencies. Its air-conditioned setting contrasts with open markets.

Beed Weekly Haat, near Beed Bus Stand, runs on Sundays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Farmers and traders from thirty villages sell grains, vegetables, and livestock in sixty to eighty stalls. Cattle, including Deoni and Gir breeds, trade for ten thousand to fifty thousand rupees. The market, a barter point in the 1920s, adopted cash by the 1970s. It halts during Ganesh Chaturthi and heavy rains. Street food stalls offer wada during festivals.

Dharur Market, in Kille Dharur village, Dharur taluka, is an APMC hub for eastern Beed. Open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, it trades sorghum, cotton, and pulses in fifty stalls. Farmers from twenty-five villages use weighbridges and sheds. Established in the 1980s, it grew with irrigation canals. It closes during the Pola festival and curfews. Its role in the grain trade supports local farmers.

Georai Bazaar, in Georai taluka, is an APMC market in Gevrai town. Operating daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, it auctions cotton, sugarcane, and grains in sixty stalls. Farmers from thirty villages supply ten to fifteen thousand quintals yearly. The market, which started in the 1960s, expanded with road networks. It pauses during Diwali and floods. Artisans sell farming tools and pottery for twenty to forty rupees.

Ghatnandur Weekly Bazaar, in Kaij taluka, runs on Tuesdays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Thirty to forty stalls sell sorghum, pulses, and vegetables. Farmers from fifteen villages trade directly with locals. The market, a village haat since the 1940s, grew with bus routes. It closes during Ganesh Chaturthi and heavy rains. It's small-scale and serves rural needs.

Kaij Bazaar, in Kaij taluka, operates on Wednesdays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Farmers from twenty villages sell sorghum, cotton, and pulses in forty stalls. Artisans offer bamboo baskets, crafted by women, for fifteen to thirty rupees. The market, active since the 1930s, expanded with irrigation. It halts during the Pola festival and emergencies. Its role as a collection center aids farmers.

Kada Market, in Kada town, Ashti taluka, runs daily from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Thirty stalls sell local produce like pulses and vegetables. Artisans from ten villages offer pottery and handwoven textiles for twenty to fifty rupees. The market, a trade point since the 1950s, grew with road access. It closes during festivals and monsoons. Its niche focus preserves local crafts.

Kukkargaon Weekly Bazaar, in Beed taluka, operates on Mondays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Twenty-five stalls sell vegetables, grains, and fodder. Farmers from ten villages trade with locals. The market, a haat since the 1940s, adopted cash with village growth. It pauses during Diwali and heavy rains. Its rural setting supports small farmers.

Majalgaon Market, in Majalgaon taluka, is an APMC hub in eastern Beed. Open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, it auctions pulses, oilseeds, and sorghum in fifty-five stalls. Farmers from thirty villages trade twelve to eighteen thousand quintals yearly. Established in the 1970s, it grew with irrigation projects. It closes during the Pola festival and floods. Its role links farmers to wholesalers.

A year ago, Murlidhar Bonde's sari shop in the bustling Nandurghat market in Beed's Kaij taluka needed a guard just for crowd control. Today, that same shop stands deserted. With no major weddings in the area for the last six months, business has plummeted, and Bonde hasn’t sold a single wedding set (“basta”) in two months. Once the largest market in Kaij, Nandurghat is now a shadow of its former self, illustrating the collapse of the rural economy in drought-hit Marathwada. On market days, daily sales have dropped from ₹25,000 to just ₹2,000. Farmers, whose crops have failed, are left without purchasing power, postponing weddings and cutting back on essential purchases like clothes, utensils, and even clay pots. Once home to over 150 wholesalers and a turnover of ₹2 crore a day, the market now runs at one-tenth capacity with only three wholesalers remaining, according to zilla parishad member Santosh Hange.

Pargaon Weekly Bazaar, in Beed taluka, runs on Mondays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Thirty stalls sell grains, vegetables, and household goods. Farmers from fifteen villages trade directly. The market, a haat since the 1950s, expanded with road access. It halts during Ganesh Chaturthi and monsoons. It's small-scale and aids rural trade.

Parli Vaijnath Market, in Parli taluka, operates daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm near Vaijnath Mandir. Sixty stalls trade cotton, sorghum, and pulses, with auctions for farmers from forty villages. Spice and herb stalls sell local turmeric and coriander for ten to thirty rupees per kg. The market, tied to yatra crowds since the 1800s, grew with railway access. It closes during Mahashivratri and floods. Souvenir stalls offer prayer beads and clothing.

Reliance Smart, in Beed city, operates daily from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Twenty shops sell groceries, personal care items, and home essentials. Opened in 2022, it offers a modern shopping option, unlike age-old bazaars. It remains open during festivals, closing only for emergencies. Its streamlined setup draws urban buyers.

Cattle markets operate in Beed, Ambajogai, and Parli talukas, typically on Sundays from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Farmers trade Deoni and Gir cattle and Osmanabadi goats in open grounds with fifty to one hundred animals. Prices range from ten thousand to fifty thousand rupees. These markets, barter-based in the 1900s, became cash-based by the 1980s. They pause during the Pola festival and emergencies.