Steps to be taken to expand Byadgi APMC Market Yard

March 13, 2024 08:46 pm | Updated 08:46 pm IST - HUBBALLI

Minister for Textiles, Sugarcane Development, Sugar and Agricultural Marketing Shivanand Patil has said that steps will be taken to expand the Byadgi APMC Market Yard, while a proposal has already been submitted to the Union government to bring chilli under minimum support price (MSP) scheme.

Speaking to presspersons in Byadgi after a visit to the APMC Market Yard on Wednesday, Mr. Patil said that violence should not have happened at the market.

According to initial estimation, the loss has been put at ₹4.5 crore, he said. However, assessment is still on and the department will release grants immediately for repairs and transactions will resume soon thereafter.

Mr. Patil said that 80 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence and the truth will reveal itself after thorough investigation. CCTV and video footages are being verified and the innocent will be released. At the same time, strict action will be taken against the guilty, he said.

The Minister said that demand for fair prices for crops is being heard across the country. However, if farmers were to have raised the issue with the department or merchants, precautionary measures could have been taken, he said.

Mr. Patil said that there has been misunderstanding over chilli prices. He said that because of huge arrivals of chilli crop variety cultivated using seeds of private seeds company, there has been a decline in prices. The Kaddi and Dabbi varieties of Byadgi chilli are not equivalent to the other variety. The prices of Hubballi, Raichur and Byadgi varieties are being compared and verified, he said.

To a query, Mr. Patil said that the government will purchase land if available for expansion of the storage facility. The merchants have told him that they are ready to part with 40 acres and if the land is made available, it will be purchased to facilitate expansion, he said.