The state government is facing challenges in revitalizing the Belgaum Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) following the repeal of the APMC Act amendment. The emergence of a private market on the outskirts of Belgaum has impacted the operations of the APMC market.
Traders occupying 132 stalls within the APMC premises are facing difficulties due to a decline in business. Belgaum APMC, ranked as the second-largest market among the 167 APMCs in the state, previously boasted a daily turnover exceeding Rs 1.5 crore.
Following the establishment of the private market in 2022, the majority of buyers and sellers have shifted their operations there. Consequently, vegetables are no longer accessible at the Belgaum APMC premises.
Reviewing the turnover from 2019, traders who invested between Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore to secure shops in the APMC premises are experiencing significant financial difficulties. They are urging the government to either refund the funds collected from shop allotments or facilitate business transactions in the area.
During his tenure as KPCC president, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visited the APMC market under the BJP government and pledged to bolster all APMCs in the state. However, following the assembly elections, there has been no indication of addressing the challenges faced by farmers and APMC traders.
Farmer activist Sidagouda Modagi and Satish Patil, director of the Belgaum District Wholesale Vegetable Traders’ Welfare Association, emphasized the importance of taking prompt action to address the situation. They stressed the urgency of saving the APMC and alleviating the difficulties faced by farmers and traders.
District minister Satish Jarkiholi and minister Laxmi Hebbalkar convened a meeting with traders from both markets, where they devised a compromise plan. They directed the traders to collaborate and ensure an equitable distribution of transactions between the two markets.
Nevertheless, according to APMC traders, the private market traders who purportedly consented to these terms during the meeting failed to adhere to the regulations. As a result, the predicament persists, leaving farmers awaiting the government’s resolution.
KH Guruprasad, the secretary of APMC Belgaum, stated that the government permitted the establishment of a private agricultural market in 2014. He noted that there is now a provision in the law to verify if the market operates in accordance with the regulations. If any discrepancies are identified, the authorities have the authority to intervene, he explained.
