PARALA(SHIMLA); Himachal Pradesh government's much-touted resolve to implement a weight-based trading system for apples in local mandis has crumbled into chaos, leaving farmers in dismay.

Promises of fair transactions based on weight have turned out to be nothing but a big hoax, with markets in Parala, Solan, Parwanoo, Kadapathar, Rohru and Narganda witnessing rampant malpractice.

Farmers who visited the mandis  to sell their apple met with disappointment as they discovered that arhtias (commission agents) were selling their produce based underhand deal under a cardboard (gatta) or  on the basis of Gad (an average), completely disregarding the state government's proclaimed commitment to weight-based transactions.

In Parala mandi, where only one or two arhtias adhered to the weight-based system, the majority continued with the age-old practice of determining apple prices arbitrarily rather than doing open auction.

Shockingly, there was a conspicuous absence of APMC  officials in the market committees to ensure adherence to the government's directives.

Even the government-run HPMC Limited wore a deserted look, with no buyers in sight. Not even a single carton was there and no official was present there. 

The lofty claims of Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi now lay in tatters, as a clear disconnect existed between the government's proclamations and the grim reality on the ground.ī

Small farmers in the region, desperate to sell their produce, found themselves at the mercy of aartias who showed little regard for the weight-based system. Some aartias had even relocated to markets in Haryana, leaving Himachal Pradesh altogether due to the impracticality of the weight-based approach.ī

Corporate buyers, including Reliance at Dhurla(Maroag),   Namdhari Seeds at Chopal and Adani Agrifresh which is  already in Sainj, Rohru, Rampur and others, have swooped in, setting up shops in the area to purchase apples directly from farmers.

However, their claimed purchase rate of ₹105 to Rs 115 per kilogram is misleading, as the farmers, burdened with lower-quality produce, typically receive a paltry ₹15 to ₹80 per kilogram. The farmers are not getting more than Rs 40 to Rs 55 per kg for their produce on the average.

This disparity exposes corporate-arhtiyas nexus and  strategies aimed at enticing farmers while offering subpar rates for  90 percent of fruit that is arriving in the markets.

The story is no different in Pinjor and Panchkula, where arhtiyas charge various charges from the farmers are offering tge same Gad rates dictating farmers to put more and more weight-  above 30 kg or so - in  cartons to get better prices. 

Despite a smaller apple crop this year, farmers' expectations of higher prices remain unmet. The dominance of corporate arhtias, who have strategically extended their reach across the apple belt, has hindered the implementation of the weight-based system.

The influx of various types of cartons for packaging has further complicated matters.

Even the farmers are not getting payments after  15 days or a month. 

Government notifications and billboards displayed at Parala and other Mandi,   mandating the installation of weighing machines in arhtias' shops have largely gone ignored. A majority of arhtias continue to resort to unfair practices rather than open auction, leaving the weight-based system in disarray.

The arhtiyas justified their action saying that they had to strike deals in case the farmers' produce is not sold as per expectation of the farmers so that he gets a better price. 

The repercussions are evident: farmers are not receiving fair compensation for their hard-earned produce, while corporate aartias are stockpiling apples for resale during the winter months when prices are expected to soar due to reduced yields in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, caused by heavy rains.

Farmers argue that the government rushed into implementing the weight-based system without adequate groundwork in mandis. Calls are growing for the government to introduce a universal carton system before imposing such a radical change in apple trading practices.

As the apple trade in Himachal Pradesh continues to teeter on the brink of chaos, the future remains uncertain for the state's apple growers.