Farmers' protest: Vegetable prices soar as fresh supplies dwindle, stir likely to intensify from 5 June

New Delhi: Retail prices of vegetables shot up in some cities and fresh supply of farm produce was hit as the farmers’ agitation entered the second day on Saturday with a Left-affiliated body saying the stir would intensify from 5 June. Agitating farmers stopped the supply of vegetables, fruits, milk and other items to various cities. [caption id=“attachment_4493917” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Farmers spill milk during a state-wide protest. PTI[/caption] Though the impact of farmers’ stir on price of farm commodities was not visible on Friday, the retail prices of vegetables in several cities rose in the range of Rs 10-20 per kg on Saturday. Several farmers’ organisations have jointly called the 10-day protest across 22 states in the country demanding remunerative prices for their produce, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and farm loan waivers, among others. In Mumbai, the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) accused the Maharashtra government of having a “negative approach” to the protest. “Farmers across the state are holding protests but the government seems to have a negative approach over keeping the promises it had made to farmers last month,” AIKS general secretary Ajit Navle told reporters. At a meeting of farmers’ organisations on Saturday, it was decided that the protests would be intensified from 5 June, he said. “We have given a call to farmers to stop selling their produce meant for cities,” Navle said. Delhi may face problems in supply of fresh vegetables, fruits and other perishables in the next week in case the farmers’ stir in neighbouring states intensifies. Trucks of vegetables, fruits and other food items reached Delhi on Saturday but, if the farmers resort to strict enforcement of cutting supply to the cities, the situation may deteriorate from next week, said Adil Khan, chairman of Azadpur mandi. “The mandis in Delhi have stocks of the vegetables and other items. The stocks are enough to meet the demand for next two days. After that, if fresh supplies do not arrive, situation may worsen,” he said. According to traders in Chandigarh, the price of tomatoes soared to Rs 20-25 per kg against Rs 10-15 per kg prevailing two days ago. Similarly, retail prices of potatoes, capsicum, bottle gourd, cucumber, have also gone up on short supplies. Traders said the fresh supplies of vegetables coming through vehicles in mandis have dwindled, triggering fears of more price rise in coming days. Farmers continued to hold protest at several places in Punjab, including Nabha, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Tarn Taran, Nangal and Ferozepur and there were reports that farmers even put up blockades not to allow supply of vegetables and milk entering cities. In Ferozepur, farmers allegedly forced the closure of vegetable mandi. In Bathinda, a group of farmers, owing allegiance to the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur), allegedly stopped some milk sellers from going to the city in the morning at village Jodhpur Romana which resulted into heated arguments among them. Milk sellers were requesting the protesting farmers to allow them to sell their milk but they refused, said police. Four farmers were taken into preventive custody, said Bathinda police station Sadar SHO Iqbal Singh. The farmers even staged a sit-in outside police station demanding the release of their fellow farmers.