SHIMLA/PARALA: The apple and pear  in lower altitudes face ripening in orchards or rotting of harvested fruit  in the market yards   as the Arhtiyas in Bhattakufar, Parala, Rohru, Solan and Parwanoo Mandis have been on strike for the last 24 hours after the APMC challaned them  yesterday and lodged FIRs against them.  

While Saynukt Kisan Sangh(SKS) and HP Arhtiyas Association are engaged in a game of oneupmanship over the issue of sale of fruit as per kg in Mandis, the  small farmers are finding it difficult to sell the fruits in domestic Mandis due to this tussle.  

The government should allow the arhtiays to sell as per prevailing practice this season as per wish of farmers and should bring in Universal carton next year to implement the new system as  it would need  no weighing machines and extra space in the Yards.

The fact that there is huge stock of packaging material of old telescopic cartons lying  unused with the farmers, which now is finding its way into the market.

This has created a situation in Mandis where cartons of different weights  are arriving in Mandis.

The farmers want to sell fruit as quickly as they can. The farmers who sell fruit is Panchkula,Delhi and other Mandis get the price as per the quality of the fruit and weight without weighing the fruit consignment.  

But in local Mandis, new system has created unique problem as there is no standardized universal cartons introduced for the apple packaging in India.  

Convenor and co-convenor of Syunkt Kisan Manch(SKM), Harish Chauhan and Sanjay Chauhan told the media persons that the arhtiyas went on strike without a notice yesterday despite the fact SKM, Arhtiays and traders agreed that the  fruit will be sold as APMC Act as per weight.

"It is right to go on strike, but the farmers loaded fruit and went to the Mandis, but only to find that traders did not sell the fruit", Harish said. 

SKM demand strict action against the vested interest among the arhtiays who took unilateral decision to go on strike. The government should implement the APMC Act and sell the fruit as per weight, they demand.   

On the hand,  HP Arhtias Association with its units in Parala, Dhalli,Solan, Parwanoo told the press conference that APMC challaned  arhtiyas at Bhattakufar and  Parala worth Rs 25000 each and faced threats of cancelation of license.

It is not possible to sell the fruit per kg as there is no space in the Mandis. The farmers were willing to sell fruit  as per old practice and arhtiyas were challaned for doing so  by the APMC and FIR was lodged, said Harish Thakur,  president, HP Arhtiyas Association. 

It has amounted to be an attack on their business as they have chain of workers tied with them and traders with liabilities to be paid, he said. 

 The odd  few Kisan leaders, one of SKM leader  is  enrolled on the Board of Directors of Haryana Mandi and he has his agenda. They are bent on destroying Mandis in Himachal so that all apple go out of state, they charged.    

All Arhtiyas association president  NC Chaudhary said they are with the government, but treatment being meted out to the arhtiyas was wrong and insulating. Local arhtiyas  are competing tharhtiyas of Delhi, Maharashtra and forcing them to come to Himachal, but this is not being digested by few vested interest. 

The government should  find a solution to the problem, inviting arhtiyas for talks. It should allow the sale as per the choice of the farmers,  considering the reality how difficult it is to sell fruit by  weighting machines  in the limited space of Mandis, he said.   

The arhtiyas give example of the practice in Panchkula, Delhi and other markets where the cartons are auctioned in open sale without weighting in machines.   

The root cause of this crisis lies in a protracted dispute between the government, agricultural board, and commission agents,  "Arhtiyas," and farmers' organisations over the sale of fruit per kilogram in the face of non-availability of standariized universal cartons. 

The small farmers are also finding it tough to transport the fruit to Panchkula, Chandigarh and Delhi  due to high transport charges and  even the roads from Chailla-Solan have become risky due to the landslides  due to rains.  

The situation may escalate  into a major political ball game as the BJP and Congress are flexing their muscle as the Lok Sabha elections are just few months away.

The consequences of this tussle are dire for the farmers whose livelihoods depend on the timely sale of their perishable produce.

The fruit-carrying vehicles stand stranded in the markets,  but no traders and buyers around to  lift the consignments.

The deadlock between the arhtiyas and the government continues, the fruits my ripen or rot within the confines of the vehicles or parked in the yards in hope that the Arhtiyas will call off strike and sale will be resumed. 

The farmers' plea for the government to intervene and find a swift resolution is echoing through the markets and apple belt. Pears and apples face uncertainty and desperation for these farmers.

Few days back when the Horticulture minister Jagat Negi and Theog Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathour had visited the Parala Mandi to take stock of the new system of sale of apple, a section of farmers belong to the BJP camp had raised ruckus over the cutting of 2 kg from the carton of 24 kg.

This issue was opposed by all the farmers bodies  regardless of the pollical lines.    

The farmers' hope turned into disappointment as the lack of space for weighing cartons brought the markets to a standstill.

Divisions among farmers' organizations based on political lines further complicate the matter, making it challenging to garner unified support.

In this melee, Horticulture and Revenue Minister, Jagat Sing Negi, faces a daunting challenge to resolve the matter  to satisfy all groups of the arhtiyas and the farmers.

Negi told media persons that the decision is taken by taking arhtiyas, apple farmers bodies and other stakeholders into confidence and there should not be any problem now. 

Meanwhile, within the hallowed walls of the secretariat, frantic consultations are underway to find a solution in time so that the harvested  fruit does not rot in vehicles and markets.

Yet, as officials deliberate and discuss, the fruits of the farmers continue to arrive and  innocent farmers are the victims.

As the strike enters its second day, the anguish and desperation of the farmers is growing.

The rotting fruits serve as a poignant reminder when political squabbles overshadow everything.