Vegetable prices see marginal rise in Delhi due to mandi strike

Traders of onion, potato and garlic stay away from strike

Prices of some vegetables showed a marginal rising trend in a few parts of Delhi on Monday because of a strike by commission agents in Azadpur (the city’s biggest wholesale market). However, there was little impact on prices of onion, potato and garlic as traders selling these commodities did not participate in the strike.

“Trading in potato, onion and garlic continued normally and around 60 per cent of the commission agents participated in the strike,” former Azadpur APMC chairman and onion trader Rajendra Sharma said.

According to a retail vegetable trader in East Delhi, Deepak Yadav, tomato and pea prices increased by Rs 5 a kg in the retail markets, while capsicum was costing almost Rs 20 a kg more in some places compared with Saturday. However, traders said the impact on retail price of fruit and vegetables could deepen if the agitation prolongs.  

Traders are protesting against the January 24 order of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Azadpur, directing agents (commonly known as middlemen) to charge the mandatory six per cent commission from buyers (wholesalers and retailers who purchase from the mandis) and not from the sellers (farmers). However, the agents alleged if the commission is charged from the wholesalers, retail price of fruit and vegetables would suddenly increase.

A dharna was staged outside the Azadpur mandi by the agents, who threatened to continue the agitation if the process of collecting commission is not reverted to the old method, according to an APMC member Mahendra Kumar, who is leading the strike. He said talks between commission agents and the Delhi government remained inconclusive.

Azadpur has around 3,800 commission agents, most of whom participated in the strike. The Delhi government has threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the traders if they do not come back to work as soon as possible. Azadpur mandi annually trades over six million tonnes of fruit and vegetables.