Traders at MP APMCs go on strike over demand for reduction in market fee

Traders across 230 major Agriculture Produce Market Committees in Madhya Pradesh started an indefinite strike from Monday over various demands including reduction in mandi (market) fee currently being charged at the rate of 1.5 per cent, a confederation of traders said.

Gopaldas Agrawal, president of the Madhya Pradesh Sakal Anaj Dalhan Tilhan Vyapari Mahasangh, said they have been demanding for a long time that the mandi fee being charged at 1.5 per cent from traders on purchase of crop produce from farmers be reduced.

"But, the state government has been deceiving us every time on this issue despite assurances, he claimed.

Agrawal said their other demands include slashing the lease rent of government plots allotted to traders in mandi premises and ending the collection of destitute assistance fee.

Till these demands are not accepted, nearly 40,000 traders across 230 mandis of the state will neither buy nor sell the produce (of farmers), he said.

He claimed that trade worth at least Rs 400 crore will be affected every day in the state APMCs due to the strike.