Bhopal: The farmers’ strike has entered the sixth day. The ongoing agitation has affected the prices and supply of not just vegetables but fruits, milk and eggs too in the city. Prices of green leafy vegetables and fruits including round gourd, cauliflower, tomato, lady finger, cucumber, coriander, capsicum, spinach, apple, mango cucumber, have doubled. The supply of milk, egg and fruits like pomegranate has trickled. Not only farmers, but traders, vendors and customers are too suffering due to the strike.
Shanker, a vegetable vendor at New Market said, “The strike hit our business badly. Earlier we used to earn Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 daily but now we manage hardly Rs 2,500 to 3,000. Due to shortage of goods in mandi, the prices of green vegetables have doubled. Now we are selling cucumber Rs 60 per kg. It was earlier Rs 30 per kg. We are now able to purchase 10 per cent articles, earlier it was 50 per cent. Now farmers, vendors and customers all three parties are in trouble. No government can be well wisher of farmers and poor whether it is the BJP or the Congress,” he added.
“It affects our business a lot. Due to shortage of goods in mandi, the prices of vegetables have gone up. The prices of lady finger, tomato, capsicum, cauliflower and coriander have doubled. Earlier the rate of these articles was in between Rs 20 to 30 per kg but now it is Rs 40 to 60,” said Sohel Seikh, a vegetable vender in Old City.
Similarly, Arvind, a fruit seller on Hamidiya Road said, “ During Ramdan day, we used to make good profit but now our 20 per cent sale has gone down due to the strike. Now, 80 out of 100 people are purchasing fruits. Due to the less supply of fruits in mandi, its rates especially of apple, mango, watermelon and litchi have doubled.”
“The supply of milk and eggs has reduced due to the strike,” said Ashok Sharma, who runs Sandeep Dairy in Professors’ Colony.
“Now, we are struggling for a milk packet. Even after standing in long queues, we are not getting Gold packet of Sanchi. Also, the prices of vegetables and fruits have doubled,” said Kaushal Mehra, a homemaker.
