BELAGAVI
Uncertainty, division of wholesale market and restricted timings for wholesale vegetable trading in view of the lockdown imposed in Karnataka has affected supplies of vegetables to Goa since Saturday.
Scarcity of vegetables in the market has also led to a hike of vegetable rates in Belagavi and Goa region, despite being the peak season in the yield of vegetables.
During the partial lockdown imposed by the Karnataka government since last fortnight to control the spread of Covid, district authorities had shifted the wholesale vegetable market from the APMC market yard and divided it into two places on the outskirts of Belagavi. This affected the uniformity of packaging and supplies to Goa.
The situation has further worsened after the Karnataka government imposed a total lockdown and timings of wholesale trading and supplies were restricted to four hours.
“The entire trading activity has been upset as authorities have limited the time for the wholesale vegetable market from 6 am to 10 am. This timing is insufficient to receive vegetables and pack them, due to which farmers are also reluctant to bring their yield to the market. This, in turn, has affected supplies to Goa too,” a vegetable wholesaler Shrikant Pote told The Goan.
“Moreover, the wholesale markets were shut on Sunday and Monday, due to which there were no supplies to Goa. Only a few vehicles of Goa Horticulture Corporation were loaded,” he added.
Describing the situation as “really disappointing,” another wholesaler, Umesh Patil, said only about 25% vegetables are being supplied to Goa since last few days.
“Actually, this is the peak time of the vegetable harvest. However due to the lockdown, farmers in the vicinity are facing difficulties in getting their yield to the market,” Patil said.
The wholesale vegetable suppliers have hoped the situation improves in the next few days and have appealed to authorities to extend some relaxation in the present timings at the wholesale markets.
