GUNTUR: Transactions at Asia’s biggest chilli yard has hit a major roadblock due to the ongoing lorry strike, which entered its sixth day on Wednesday.
Only a few lorries are arriving at the NTR Mirchi Yard per day as compared to 1,500 on an average, according to reports. The lorry owners are demanding reduction in fuel prices and taxes as part of their protest.
On Wednesday, only 2,800 tikkies reached the market yard. On an average, one lakh tikkies arrive here in peak seasons and 30,000 during offseason.
The strike has added to the problems of the chilli yard, which was already dealing with issues arising due to implementation of the eNAM system. After the electronic-National Agricultural Marketing(e-NAM) trading was introduced, traders and agents have been reluctant to make online payments to the farmers.
As such, officials and the governing body have had conducted a review meeting with 2,500 traders and commission agents and assured them to resolve the technical issues by taking those up with the higher authorities. Further, the lorry strike is proving to be a major setback to trading in the market yard for the past six days.
S Venkateswarlu, a farmer from Pasumarru of Chilkaluripet mandal, said the quality of his produce was deteriorating because he was not able to bring it to the market.
NTR Market Yard Secretary M Venkateswara Reddy said the market yard was experiencing heavy reduction in transactions as the farmers are not able to bring their produce to the Yard. “On an average, we register trading of 30,000 tikkies per day during off season, which has decreased to 2,000-4,000 since the strike began,” the secretary said.
NTR Mirchi Yard Chairman M Subba Rao stated the authorities are not in a position to export and import the produce due to the ongoing strike. He urged the farmers not to bring stocks to the market till lorry owners call off their strike.
Setback to trading
The strike has added to the problems of the chilli yard
On Wednesday, only 2,800 tikkies reached the Asia’s biggest chilli yard.
After (e-NAM) trading was introduced, traders and agents have been reluctant to make online payments to the farmers.