BELAGAVI
The wholesale vegetable market limped backed to normalcy in Belagavi on Wednesday after a gap of two days, but very few farmers brought their yield to the market due to heavy rains lashing the region and only a very few vehicles were loaded for Goa.
The wholesale market remained shut on Monday and Tuesday. While Monday was a weekly off, the wholesale traders had called for an indefinite period protesting against the huge inconveniences caused due to shifting of the wholesale market from its original place at APMC.
According to traders’ confusion prevailed among farmers regarding getting their yield to the market due to the two continuous days of closure on Monday and Tuesday.
Moreover, rains lashing the region on account of Cyclone Tauktae made it difficult for farmers to pluck the vegetables from their farms.
“Many farmers were confused about the situation in Belagavi since wholesale traders had declared an indefinite strike at the wholesale market. Moreover, due to heavy rains since Sunday, it was difficult to pluck vegetables from our fields. Hence, very few farmers brought their yield to the market on Wednesday,” said a farmer who had reached the wholesale market at 5.30 am.
Speaking about the arrival of vehicles with vegetables to the market, traders said very few vehicles from the hinterland reached Belagavi on Wednesday.
“Only about 25 per cent vehicles reached Belagavi on Wednesday and hence very few vehicles will be leaving for Goa,” said a wholesaler, Shrikant Pote.
“We hope that the situation will improve soon. The farmers are incurring heavy losses due to the weather, inconvenience and uncertainty over the division of the wholesale market into two places.”
