Byadgi chilli market back to normal

March 12, 2024 08:47 pm | Updated 08:47 pm IST - Belagavi

Work is nearly back to normal in the wholesale chilli market in Byadgi town in Haveri district that witnessed violent protests on Monday. Traders say that they can open the market only once a week as the existing stock will take at least a week to process and dry.

Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) officials have estimated that the protest has caused a loss of around ₹4 crore.

An angry mob of farmers set fire to vehicles and shops after reports of a sudden crash in chilli prices came. Of the eight vehicles gutted, four belonged to the APMC, one was a fire engine and three were private vehicles. The APMC office was damaged, with some documents destroyed.

Police officers, who registered four first information reports, rounded up around 81 people on the charge of arson and mischief.

Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar Srivastava said that investigation is in progress with officers zeroing in on CCTV footage.

Initial investigation has revealed that most of the 81 people taken into custody speak Telugu. Security has been tightened with over 800 KSRP and DAR personnel on duty. They include 200 officers and constables from outside the district.

On Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Raghunandhan Murthy held a meeting with traders, commission agents and APMC members.

Mr. Murthy urged traders to keep farmers updated on all trends in prices and to convince them if there is any fall. He also asked them to increase working days and hours. He asked the traders to reconsider their decision to open the market only for a day in a week. He said that they extend it to two days in the interest of farmers.

Some commission agents and traders shared their problems with the Deputy Commissioner. They said that there is a shortage of manpower in the market and some places in the market are cramped. They also stressed on the need for more cold storages as the existing ones are always full.

APMC officers said that alternative arrangements are being made for re-tendering process to help traders to bid again.

Meanwhile, some leaders, including MLA Basavaraj Shivannavar, argue that it is a pre-planned attack by miscreants and not a sudden outburst of emotions by local farmers.

The MLA dismissed reports of a sudden fall in prices as a baseless rumour. “Monday’s violence is pre-planned, only aimed at damaging the reputation of the Byadgi chilli market. Some miscreants are behind it. I do not think any trader or commission agent has cheated farmers,” Mr. Shivannanavar said.

He was speaking at a meeting of officers and traders held at Siddheshwar Kalyana Mantapa in the APMC Yard. “If we lose this market, we will all suffer. Traders will shift their business and the livelihood of millions of people, including women, farmers, workers, who depend on this, will be threatened,” he said.

He vowed to ensure that the offenders will face legal action.

Vice-President of Traders Association A.R. Nadaf said that he never witnessed such a violent incident in his 75 years of experience.

President of the association Suresh Gowda Patil said that a rumour about collusion among farmers led to the violence.

He asked farmers to check the prices of all markets in the last two months and know the truth.

Meanwhile, the traders decided to open the market only for a day, as they needed at least eight days to process the chillies.

APMC secretary H.Y. Satish, the former secretary S.G. Nyamagowda, association secretary Raju Morigeri and others were present.