Enraged by the indefinite suspension of cotton purchases by traders at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Yard due to the lack of valid currency, hundreds of farmers and commission agents blocked National Highway 167 in Raichur on Thursday.
The spontaneous blockade of the highway that connect many parts of north and east Karnataka with Hyderabad took the police by surprise. It also disrupted traffic movement for a couple of hours.
Apart from parking their cotton-laden vehicles on the road, the farmers placed stones on the road for ensuring an effective blockade. The agitating farmers also exchanged heated arguments with a couple of drivers who were in a hurry to reach their destination, but were caught in the blockade. The police and APMC authorities finally persuaded the agitating farmers to vacate the road by assuring them of resumption of cotton purchases.
The farmers said that they left their houses a week ago with their harvested cotton and camped in the APMC Yard waiting for traders to purchase their crop. They said that the traders had expressed inability to purchase the crop due to shortage of valid currency notes caused by demonetisation.
“The ban on Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes and the resultant shortage of valid currency are not our problem. The Union government should have made adequate preparation before announcing such a major decision. We left our houses a week ago with the harvested crop and waited hoping that auction would start any time. Since we found no signs of resumption of the purchase, we had to start an agitation,” a farmer said.
Traders too similarly pleaded their helplessness.
“We don’t have any ill-intention in stopping purchases. Our business too is hit due to suspension of cotton purchases. But, we are helpless. We don’t have enough valid currency to pay the farmers,” said a trader.
