Vegetable supply from Belgaum resumes

PANJIM, JAN 7
The regular supply of vegetables to Goa resumed on Friday after the Belgaum traders withdrew their three-day strike.
Goa State Horticulture Development Corporation’s Chairman Sankalp Amonkar told Herald that the vegetable supply from Belgaum has resumed after Goa Government’s intervention.
“We explained to them the prevailing problem all over the country and that staging protest against supplying vegetables was creating more problems to common man. We also told them that if they continue with the protest, we would re-route imports from other neighbouring places,” Amonkar said.
The stocks in 350-odd outlets run by Corporation ran dry as supply of vegetables from Belgaum was stopped since Wednesday afternoon.
Amonkar at a press briefing had said that the negotiations were on to ensure that the wholesalers resume the supply but ‘political jealousy’ by opposition parties had created impediments.
Amonkar said that they will have to get the supply from other cities like Kolhapur or Mumbai if Belgaum crisis continues.
The Corporation gets around 120 tonnes of vegetables from Belgaum market which is sold at subsidised rates through 350 outlets. “We pay around Rs 20-lakhs to get the vegetables at the wholesale sale while the Government bears Rs 80-85 lakh on subsides per month,” he said on Friday.
Amonkar said that with the onion prices up-scaling and Corporation offering onions at cheaper price was an issue with the Belgaum wholesalers.
He said that the Corporation has been providing 10 different kinds of vegetables at a cheaper rate to the consumers and has also added fruits to its itinerary. “We have begun selling these chemical free fruits,” Amonkar said.
The strike had also affected supply of vegetables in the open market. “We did not get vegetables for the last three days. Luckily, the strike was called off today. The prices are not affected due the strike and we have maintained the same price of each vegetable,” vegetable vendor Sudhir Sharma said.
Another retailer, Arun Prabhu said that since the farmers suffered losses, as the vegetables they supplied to wholesaler soiled, there was scarcity of vegetables on Friday.
“The vegetables in the wholesale stock were soiled as the transportation of the commodities was banned in the last three days. Farmers in Belgaum were ambiguous as to when the strike would be called off, as a result of which they did not supply vegetables today,” he said.
The Corporation feels that their popularity graph has increased tremendously giving mileage to Digambar Kamat-led government in the State which has irked BJP.
“Many of our staff is working at a lower pay scale relentlessly. What Corporation is achieving now is just because of the staff who gets up as early as 4:30 am and transport vegetables to the outlets,” Amonkar said.
The Corporation had managed to bring just 25 tonnes of vegetables from Belgaum on Thursday and the shelves were wearing an empty look by afternoon.