Lemon farmers stage protest at market yard

Demand cancellation of e-trading
Eluru: Lemon farmers, traders and hamalis besieged agriculture marketing committee yard, here on Monday, demanding the government to cancel the recently introduced online trading in the market yards. The farmers and hamalis locked the office, squatted in front of it and raised slogans against e-trading.

The IFTU district committee general secretary U Venkateswara Rao addressing the agitating farmers, workers and traders said that the lemon market yard in Eluru was the biggest market in the state and the government was getting crores of rupees income through the yard.

It should be recalled that the government has cancelled the open auction system and introduced e-trading. Earlier it has tried to implement e-trading and postponed it, when the farmers and traders opposed it. “The lemon farmers, who brought their produce to the yard, were told that purchases would be through e-trading. With this several traders left, leaving a huge stock pile of lemon. Farmers fear that stacking of lemons would lead to drop in price and hamalis fear lack of work,” Rao said.

Farmers from Tadeikalapudi village in Kamavarapukota mandal said that they would incur losses with online system. “Though the rate did not cross Rs.5, the joint director was claiming that it was Rs 20,” he alleged.AP Rythu Sangham leader Ganta Satyanarayana and others were also present.