Belgaum farmers, traders irked over subsidy

BELGAUM, JAN 6
While people in Goa are relieved with Horticulture Corporation of Goa’s decision of supplying vegetables to Goans at subsidized rates, tension prevails amid farmers and vegetable suppliers in Belgaum over the decision.
According to reports, the wholesale suppliers in a sudden move late Wednesday evening decided not to supply vegetables to Goa for an indefinite period. The decision was taken in the wake of Horticulture Corporation of Goa’s decision to increase the number of vegetables from 10 to 20. However, due to the intervention by the Goan authorities and government authorities in Belgaum till late Wednesday night, the strike was called off.
The supplies to Goa resumed from Thursday evening after the vegetable suppliers in Belgaum were assured by the Horticulture Corporation that the number of vegetables to be procured from Belgaum would not be increased, the decision that could thwart chances of people of Goa in getting more vegetables at subsidized rates.
On the other hand, the already struggling vegetable traders in Belgaum, who solely depend on Goa, still feel offended.
The Horticulture Corporation of Goa procures tomatoes, cauliflower, green chilies, beans, cabbage, carrot, gourd, potato, lady’s finger, etc. But as only four suppliers from Belgaum have been authorized to supply vegetables to Horticulture Corporation of Goa, the resent among the 150-odd suppliers to Goa has just started brewing.
The suppliers have alleged that with the prime vegetables supplied by the Horticulture Corporation of Goa, they are already facing the crunch. This is because the number of items supplied to Goa has further reduced and has adversely affected their transaction and the transactions of their counterparts drastically. According to sources, the Goa Wholesale Vegetable Suppliers Association, Belgaum, has called a general body meeting on January 10 to have detailed discussion and course of action to be taken in this regard.