SHIVPURI: The deal between the onion producing farmers and traders hit a roadblock on Tuesday because of obstinacy of secretary of the Shivpuri Krishi Upaj Mandi. The secretary was opposed to the deal on weighing the onion which was formulated by farmers and traders after a discussion.
As most of the freshly harvested onion was of substandard quality the farmers and traders decided that 42kg of onion should be deemed as 40kg. According to practice prevailing so far, there was a standard in which quantity of any agricultural produce is fixed at 45kg for a sack. However, referring to an order of the collector the secretary raised objection over the consensus the farmers and the traders had reached.
He said there would be no concession in weight for the traders. The farmers and traders were furious because of the logjam in deal and they opened a front against secretary Shyambihari Sharma and accusing him of highhandedness raised slogan against him. Congress leader Irshad Pathan, extending support to the traders, said the farmers and the traders had reached an agreement on the rate of onion. However, Mandi secretary is pressurising the traders to purchase onion according to his direction otherwise he would lodge a complaint with police against them and also cancel their licences.
The traders had reasoned that onion is brought to the Mandi in tractor-trolley and a large quantity of soil is stuck with onions. Besides, some of the produce also uses to be rotten because of which the traders incur losses. However, secretary Sharma denied their objection. When contacted about his dispute with farmers and traders over sale of onion, Mandi secretary Sharma denied commenting over the incident.
