BENGALURU: Farmers at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Yeshwanthpur raised several concerns, including commission charges and the impact on onion yields, with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar during his surprise visit on Tuesday.
Shivakumar made a surprise early-morning visit to the APMC yard to meet farmers, traders and women workers and heard their concerns while also having breakfast with them.
The chief minister inquired about several issues, such as whether farmers were stopped by the police for extra money while transporting their produce. He also asked them whether they were paid on time and whether they were forced to pay any commission to the market.
Shivakumar personally checked the weighing of the onions at the market and asked what are the expenses incurred to cultivate an acre, and whether they were facing any irregularities in the weighing of their produce.
Farmers, while interacting with the chief minister, said that traders in Kalaburgi, Bidar and Vijayapura markets charged commissions of Rs 8-10.
However, farmers told him that they preferred bringing their produce to Yeshwanthpur APMC as it does not charge them commission.
Farmers said that due to lack of rainfall, their onion yield was affected this year. They used to harvest 150-200 bags of onions, but due to the shortage of rain, they could harvest only 50 bags. They also said that during heavy rains, the onion produce rots in the field, and they can not even recover the cost of delivering the produce to the market.
A farmer from Devar Hippargi taluk of Vijayapura district said the farmers had paid their crop insurance premium to a self-help society but had received messages informing them their insurance claims had been rejected as the premiums paid had not been remitted to the DCC Bank.
After examining the list of farmers who had paid the premiums, Shivakumar directed that the official responsible for the lapse be suspended.
Farmers at the market appreciated Shivakumar's visit, saying that no chief minister or any other minister had visited the market and enquired about their problems in the last 30 years.
Shivakumar also directed officials to arrest those who were employing children at the APMC.
