APMC agents, market board officials to meet today to sort out differences

Representatives of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), commission agents and officials of market board will meet today to find a solution to the stand-off on the issue of commission rate in the city. The meeting will take place at the Maharashtra State

Marketing. Board Office at 11.30 am.

On Wednesday, the Pune APMC market, popularly known as Gultekdi Market, remained closed for the fifth consecutive day.

However, retail prices of fruits and vegetables in the city remained stable though the arrival in market saw a marginal increase from 47 per cent on Tuesday to 51 per cent on Wednesday.

In the absence of the commission agents, the farmers continued to sell their produce directly to vendors. "The arrival has gone up marginally and we are hoping that the tomorrow's meeting will be fruitful so that the normal market operations resume. On Wednesday, the market received about 13 tonnes of vegetables and fruits," said B J Deshmukh, managing director of Pune APMC.

The prices of vegetables remained about 75 to 80 per cent higher than average prices.

On Wednesday, green chillies and lady finger were being sold at Rs 65- 75 a kg and Rs 55 to 60 per kg respectively. Prices of capsicum (Rs 45 per kg), cucumber, (Rs 30-35 per kg), brinjal (Rs 15-20 per keg) bitter gourd (Rs 28 to 30 per kg), ginger (Rs 80 to 85 per kg) remained high at Narayan Peth, Mahatma Phule mandal, Deccan Gymkhana and Model colony.

Shivlal Bhosale, chairman of the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Commission Agents Association at the APMC, said, "We are looking forward to tomorrow's meeting with the market board MD. If our concerns are addressed, we will call off the strike. But if they continue to impose unjust decisions, we will be forced to continue with our stir. Our intention is not to harm farmers, but if the government is using a 1977 GR to harass us and cut into our income, we are not left with any other option."

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