Don't delist potatoes, onions: Traders

To meet on July 17 to decide future course of action against Centre's decision

Traders in Maharashtra are up in the arms against the Centre’s move to bring onions and potatoes within the purview of stockholding limits under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and delist them from the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). At a well-attended meeting at the APMC market situated in Vashi, Navi Mumbai on Friday, traders and mathadi workers (who are engaged in loading and unloading of agriculture produce) took a decision to oppose the Centre’s decision and have convened a meeting on July 17 to decide their future course of action. Those present at today's meeting also indicated at the closure of APMC markets in protest against the government's decision.

Traders and mathadi union ask how can farmers sell their produce in the open market in absence of any fixed places of marketing. They cited that at present farmers can do it through APMCs.

“The decision has been taken in a haphazard manner. Farmers are unaware of linkages in the marketing chain. This will adversely hit the onion procurement process from Nashik for the Delhi market in particular,” a leading trader told Business Standard.

On the other hand, Narendra Patil, general secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Mathadi Transport and Kamgar Union said the Centre's decision will make more than 800,000 mathadi workers across Maharashtra jobless. At APMC's Vashi site over 25,000 mathadi workers are engaged in loading and unloading. Farmers can send onion and potato and other vegetables 24x7 at APMCs but it won't be the case if they will have to make arrangements for its sale in open market. ''Chairmen of all APMCs and Mathadi Union office bearers will meet on July 17 to take future action against the government decision,'' he noted.