The conflict between the APMC wholesale vegetable market and the privately run Jai Kisan wholesale vegetable market escalated on Tuesday, when hundreds of traders and farmers staged a protest in Belagavi.
Protesters blocked College Road at Rani Chennamma Circle, demanding the reopening of the Jai Kisan market, which had been closed last week by district authorities for technical reasons. Traffic was disrupted from 12 pm to 4 pm, with vehicles diverted and delays for commuters and travellers heading towards Goa and other destinations.
Trading at the APMC wholesale market continued as normal, but tensions may affect vegetable supplies to Goa and surrounding areas if protests continue. Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Roshan, addressing the protesters, said retail trade of vegetables would be allowed at the Jai Kisan market until the Karnataka High Court hears a plea against the cancellation of its trading licence on Wednesday.
The Jai Kisan Wholesale Vegetable Market was established near the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway during the COVID-19 period and inaugurated in January 2022. Since its start, it has faced allegations from farmer leaders. Siddagouda Moudagi, leading the agitation for the wholesale market to remain at APMC, accused wholesalers of offering low procurement prices to farmers while securing larger margins from retailers, particularly in Goa.
The Karnataka State Marketing Department cancelled the trading licence of Jai Kisan last week, leading to its closure by the district administration. This has triggered protests among traders and farmers who support Jai Kisan, and the matter now awaits a ruling from the Karnataka High Court.
The issue has also developed a political angle. The ruling Congress party has backed the APMC market on legal grounds, while opposition BJP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi and Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil, have expressed support for the protesting traders and farmers.
Source: The Goan Everyday