Are farmers benefitting from the easing of curbs for marketing their produce in the wholesale market here?

Merchants who procure the produce from them at the APMC yard at Bandipalya are selling them at higher prices to the consumers.

This came to the notice of Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar here on Wednesday. In view of the complaints, the Minister has asked the officers concerned to ensure that farmers and consumers were not put to hardships and address the complaints of farmers’ produce being bought at lower prices.

“Take action against the traders who are selling the farm produce such as vegetables and fruits at higher prices to the retail markets,” Mr. Somashekar said, after a meeting with officials from the APMC, farmers, and merchants’ associations.

The government announced two-month ration to the ration card holders in view of the lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic. By and large, the ration had been distributed to the families.

PDS rice diverted

However, the rice supplied through the public distribution system (PDS) was found diverted to the open market with some card holders selling their rice quota soon after receiving the same from the fair price shops.

“Within minutes of collecting the rice, some card holders in the district had sold it to others. We need to act against such practices,” the Minister told the Joint Director of Food and Civil Supplies Shivanna.

Mr. Somashekar said the opposition to the movement of trucks through the Bavali check-post to Kerala in H.D. Kote taluk of Mysuru district was unwarranted since any hurdles to the transportation to the neighbouring State would affect trading of farmers’ produce at the APMC here.

S.A. Ramdas, MLA, complained of vegetables and fruits being sold at higher rates to consumers despite being procured from farmers at lower rates.