Bathinda, June 1: The nationwide strike call of farmers has also left its impact here, with wholesalers and traders claiming that the supply of vegetables has gone down by almost 75 per cent.
Market committee president Preetam Kumar Sanju said, “Though we have adequate stock in the cold storage, the supplies have dropped drastically, primarily from states like Maharashtra and HP, besides Delhi. Moreover, the protesting unions have also stopped farmers of nearby villages from supplying their vegetables in city areas. The situation may worsen if the supplies remain affected in the coming days too.”
He said a large number of people had resorted to panic purchase of vegetables on Thursday evening, due to which the prices went up. Consequently, the sale witnessed a decline on Friday, said traders. Meanwhile, BKU Sidhupur press secretary Resham Singh said they were supporting the strike call and had urged farmers not to supply vegetables and milk to urban areas. He, however, said people could visit villages to make the purchase.
He said farmers were not getting remunerative prices for vegetables and milk though these were sold at much higher rates in urban areas. He said they were supporting the strike call to highlight their demands like the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, complete debt waiver for farmers and crop insurance.
Prices of vegetables have “doubled” after farmers held protests and decided not to supply fresh goods to city. Amarvir Singh, general secretary of Punjab State Fruit and Vegetable Commission Agents Association, said the city failed to receive a fresh supply of vegetables on Friday due to which prices had doubled in the wholesale market.
The prices of onion and potato have not been affected so far as the wholesalers have these stocked. Fruit prices also continue to be the same. The milk supply was not affected in the region as dairy farmers transported milk in their private vehicles.
Balbir Singh, chief of Bharti Kissan Union (Rajewal), said they had stopped the supply of fresh vegetables to the city by raising a slogan, “Pind band, kissan chutti ute” (village closed, farmers on leave).
Activists of various farm unions dumped vegetables, milk and other farm produce on roads in Moga.
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