APMC traders oppose direct selling by farmers in city

APMC traders oppose direct selling by farmers in city

Trader associations are pulling out all the stops to pressurise the government into rescinding its recently-issued notification that allows farmers to sell their yield directly in the city. They have alleged that doing away with the middlemen (the traders) will not only render them jobless, but also take away from the farmers the guarantee to competitively sell their goods at the agricultiral product marketing committees (APMC). While the fruit and merchant association is all set to meet the state agriculture and marketing Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Wednesday to express their woes, APMC director Sanjay Pansare revealed that it was the state government which in 1988 promised on a stamp paper that it will not disturb the APMC structure. About the nearly 90 retailers like Reliance Fresh, Aditya Birla’s More are sourcing their produce directly from farmers, and “neither the constumers of these retail chains are getting vegetables and fruit at reasonable rates nor the farmers getting good prices for their produce,” Pansare added. Even as Ashok Walunj, director at Maharashtra State Market Committee Board demanded that the same rule should be applied to other agriculture markets across the state. “Why just the APMC, the government should dissolve all agriculture marketing committees across the state,” e said, while suspecting pre-planned politics behind it. But, Nanasaheb Patil, president of Shatkari Kruti Samiti, said the move was a positive one in the right direction. Dissuading the traders from making a hue and cry over it, Patil said very few farmers will come to city to sell their produce. “Though the state wants to show that it is doing something for farmers and consumers, I doubt the success of the notification,” added Patil.