Dambullah farmers’ market in central Sri Lanka is one of the busiest in the country, acting as a supply hub for various smaller satellite markets and those in the capital, Colombo, over 120km away. Typically, buyers and brokers purchase bulk quantities of produce and transport it back to the other market hubs in nearby cities. The size of Dambullah market and the quantities of crops on offer conspire to make prices extremely competitive which allows for this distributive model. Hundreds of small businessmen and stall-holders also use the market to augment their own crops with other, fresh products. On the long stretch of road linking Colombo with Dambullah, barely a square metre of ground is free from grocery stalls, signs proclaiming the next grocery stall or hawkers themselves.
Converging on it from miles around are the growers, the farmers and their customers. They form a hodgepodged, extempore town of tents and awnings. And under these awnings, veining the market and carrying its lifeblood are the narrow alleyways and ginnels. Alongside these the stalls are crammed, selling fruits and vegetables, clothing and crafts, batteries and tobacco (which often out-lasts the batteries). Getting around the market is a case of simply going where the prevailing flow takes you. Any other policy runs the risk of a nasty stand-off with two tonnes of irate cow.
As we talk to the stall-holders it quickly becomes apparent that nearly all of them have, or have access to, a mobile phone. And they have all, in a relative short period of time, come to look upon mobile as a vital part of their business. During a quieter moment, we get to speak to Dia Rupasena, 42. Dia has been coming to the Dambullah market for fifteen years. He sells onions, beets and an incarnadine chewing tobacco. He’s been using a mobile phone to help develop his business for the past 5 years. He explains that the biggest impact access to mobile has had is that he has come to know and keep in contact with many more customers. Previously, he had to fund the transport and fuel costs of paying personal visits to his customers out of his own pocket. The burgeoning use of mobile has removed this cost from his business. He’s re-investing the saved funds back into improving his farm. This has had a beneficial effect on his personal finances since the extra income means it is now viable for him to hold a bank account – something that was impractical beforehand.
