Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers in Mandsaur blocked the Manasa-Mandsaur road due to the lack of auctions in Malhargarh agricultural produce market. The dispute stemmed from overcrowding caused by a bumper arrival of garlic in the market. On Wednesday, traders shut down the market, citing insufficient space for conducting auctions.
Farmer leaders Vijesh Malecha and Anil Sharma intervened, kick-starting the auction process. However, chaos persisted as farmers complained about delays in selling their produce. They alleged favouritism towards certain traders, leading to prolonged waits for others.
Following the road blockade, discussions ensued involving farmer leaders, traders, porters, weigh men and administration officials. Eventually, a resolution was reached and the market resumed operations at 4:00 pm under supervision of agricultural produce market in-charge Vivek Sonkar and sub-divisional officer Brijesh Malviya.
Farmer leaders demand action
Despite temporary resolution, farmer leader Vijesh Malecha demanded stricter action against employees causing delays, emphasising the need for smoother market operations. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also issued a warning, urging the market administration to address systemic issues within a week or face larger protests from farmers.
Notably, arrival of truckloads of garlic has slowed down the auction process in Ratlam as well. At a time when the prices of garlic are going through the roof, huge quantity of garlic has arrived in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam.
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