Lorry strike hits jaggery, tender coconut markets in Mandya

With the truckers in the southern states on an indefinite strike to protest against higher insurance premium and a rule to scrap old vehicles from Thursday, business transactions were affected at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) in Mandya.

The farmers, who had brought jaggery for sales could not sell their produce as the truck owners refused to lift the load.

A farmer told DH that though the transactions were normal on the first few days of the stir, lorry owners did not lift the load on Monday. “The jaggery has been brought to the market on Saturday. With the temperature levels soaring, we fear that the jaggery might melt,” he said.

The district is already facing drought and the quantity of sugarcane grown is very less, compared to the previous years. Hence, not much jaggery is arriving in the market. Only around 1,000 quintals of jaggery are available for sale, including mould, box and bucket varieties. Moreover, jaggery that was sold at Rs 3,500 per quintal is now being sold at Rs 4,300, he said.

Speaking to DH, Mandya APMC Secretary Pushpa said, the truckers’ stir has affected the business as there are not much takers for jaggery. However, there is not much load in stock at the APMC, she added.

Tender coconut

The truckers stir has also affected the sale of tender coconuts at the APMC market in Maddur, in the district. The number of traders purchasing tender coconuts has come down. Only those transporting tender coconuts to Bengaluru are buying them, while the loads being sent to Mumbai, Hyderabad and North Karnataka on trucks are stuck due to the stir.

There is great demand for tender coconuts during summer with the wholesale price at Rs 10 to Rs 16 a piece. Each tender coconut is sold above Rs 20 in the retail market.