Karnataka lockdown | Fruit and vegetable farmers and traders hit hard

Time for commercial activities in agri-produce not sufficient

Farmers raising vegetable and fruits and merchants dealing with them, wholesale as well as retail, have been hit hard by the fortnight-long Janata Curfew and the lockdown that began on Monday with limited time available to dispose of produce. Though the government has said that there will be no restrictions on agricultural activities, trading in the produce is limited to the window for essentials purchase between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., thus blocking the entire supply chain. While farmers are unable to harvest and sell their entire produce in time, wholesale merchants are unable to sell produce in time to retailers due to the time restrictions. Secretary of Mangaluru APMC Varthakara Sangha B.K. Imtiyaz told The Hindu that wholesale traders who place orders with farmers have to lift produce whether or not they are able to sell them to retailers. The State-wide COVID-19 restrictions on commercial activities except between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and the weekend curfew exclusive to Dakshina Kannada have affected traders severely, Mr. Imtiyaz said.