The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) of Mumbai, which shifted from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai around 40 years ago, is now facing possible relocation outside Navi Mumbai. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation have been instructed to facilitate the process.

The Municipal Corporation has identified land across 14 villages within the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Metropolitan Region for consideration. The Market Committee has asked traders and other stakeholders to inspect these proposed sites.

Simultaneously, the Committee is inviting bids for redevelopment of the current premises. However, traders have warned of significant resistance if the market is moved out of Navi Mumbai. As the existing APMC site lies in northern Navi Mumbai, there are plans for joint redevelopment of the area, and efforts to relocate the market are underway.

Alternative locations under review include Ulva and Palghar, both near the proposed airport. However, relocating beyond Navi Mumbai could face opposition from traders and Mathadi workers. Any such shift would necessitate the development of new facilities for labourers and traders alike.

This has caused considerable concern among thousands of traders, as all five APMC markets were relocated from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai during the 1980s and 1990s. At the time, the government had supported the move by offering over 100,000 affordable homes to Mathadi workers and traders.