Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 12: The vegetables and fruits wholesale dealers, who had suspended their businesses since the last three days at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) yard at Bykampady in pursuit of their demand to resume business at the central market here, have decided to resume operations at APMC yard from Friday, June 12 onward. In all likelihood, about 50 per cent of the wholesalers may begin business here again.

These merchants had arrived at the central market on Tuesday with the intention of shifting their operations back to the central market. The police deployed by the administration had stopped the merchants from entering the central market. They stuck to their stand not to go back to Baikampady because of various problems there. As such, the fresh arrival of fruits and vegetables into the city was curtailed, resulting in escalating prices of vegetables and fruits.

Even though the wholesale business gets going again in the city, as all the merchants will not be involving themselves, the arrival of vegetables and fruits will still be considerably less. Therefore, vegetables and fruit prices may not return to normalcy for a couple of more days.

The city corporation has passed an order barring businessmen from using the central market building for business operations. The wholesalers claim that they have brought a stay against the order to shift their business but the corporation has stood firm on not allowing them to conduct business here.

The prices of vegetables and fruits which went up by about Rs 5 a kg on Wednesday registered further increase on Thursday. The vegetable prices went up by an average of Rs 5 a kg again while fruits recorded an increase of Rs 15 to 20 per kg.