The arecanut trading in the Shivamogga Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard was suspended on Monday in protest against the decline in the prices of arecanut.
It may be recalled that, condemning the crash in the price of arecanut, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) had called for suspension of arecanut trading at APMC yard. In response to the call, the farmers and traders remained off the market on Monday.
Addressing a protest meet of farmers on the APMC premises, H.R. Basavarajappa, working president of KRRS, said that there was a slump in the price of arecanut as a few of firms engaged in manufacturing value- added products from arecanut were manipulating the prices to fulfil their selfish interests.
There was no mismatch between demand and supply of arecanut now, which, in the past, was responsible for the fluctuations in the price of the produce.
As there was still three-months’ time for fresh arrivals in the market, the farmers should adopt shrewd selling methods. Instead of bringing the produce to the market in bulk, they should sell it in phases. The trading would be suspended at APMC in Bhadravati and Channagiri on July 28 and 29, respectively, he said.
A meeting between the arecanut growers, traders and representatives of cooperative organisations engaged in marketing arecanut was held later, in which the measures to be taken to stabilise the price was discussed. Social activist Kadidal Shamanna, arecanut traders Omkarappa and Vijaydev took part in the meeting.
