The four-day long strike by traders at the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC) across the state, which led to vegetable prices shooting up, was called off on Wednesday evening following a meeting between traders’ association, government officials and Ministers.
The strike was against State Government’s recent decision to remove fruits and vegetables from the APMC ambit, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly to private buyers outside market committees.
Sanjay Pansare, former director, Navi Mumbai APMC, and a fruit trader, said, “On the one hand, the government is allowing traders outside the committee to pick up agricultural produce without any restrictions, and, at a price decided independently. But the produce that comes to committees will have to give a certain support price to farmers. We demand the government remove restrictions for all.”
In a meeting held at Mantralaya on Wednesday, the traders’ association and the government agreed to applying one law to traders working inside and outside the market committees.
“The government ordinance will now undergo modification by August 6 and a special committee has been set up for the same,” said Subhash Deshmukh, Co-operation Minister after the meeting.
