MYSURU: The Truck drivers’ strike has started affecting the supply of vegetables and other essentials in Karnataka and the neighbouring states as well. With trucks off road, to protest against the harsh punishment for hit-and-run cases, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, farmers are also suffering.
Farmers who had managed to grow vegetables and raise crops, despite the drought in the state, are now again in trouble as they are not able to sell the produce for lucrative prices, because of the truck stike. The strike has hit the supply of essentials like petroleum products, gas, fruits and other produce.
The heat of the strike is felt by the farmers as well, as the prices of fresh vegetables have crashed. The price of beans has gone down from Rs 50 to Rs 45, while price carrots has gone down from Rs 35 to Rs 25 per kg. Radish, tomato, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, cabbage, cauliflower and other varieties were reduced to Rs 22 per kg.
Though the prices are the same in the retail market, prices have gone down at the APMC market in Mysuru in the past two days. The vegetables have piled up at the APMC market as there are no takers due to the lorry strike in all southern states.
Prices go up in Kerala
Mysuru and Chamarajanagar markets depend on neighbouring states with more than 130 to 150 trucks from Kerala buying veggies daily. However, vegetable prices have increased from Rs 8 to Rs 12 a kilo in the wholesale market which has made the farming community worry about the escalation of strike. The vegetable prices shot up in Kerala as they could not meet the demand and supply.
Lorry Owners Association president Khodandaram said that more than 6,000 trucks, other than mini trucks, are off the roads in protest. He said that the legislation would snatch away bread and butter of the drivers and want the government to relook into the provisions. He said that the protest would further intensify, which would affect the supply of essential commodities as there is no truck movement.