Arhtiyas and Traders Squeeze Small Farmers with Underhand Deals...APMC of Himachal and Haryana Turn a Blind eye to the unfair  trade practices in the apple Mandis. 

PARALA/PINJORE: The small and marginal apple farmers in Shimla's high-altitude orchards are being robbed blind by the arhtiyas  and traders operating in mandis across Pinjore, Parwanoo, Solan, Parala, Narkanda, and Rohru.

These markets, which should have been a place for fair trade, have become a playground for backroom deals that are squeezing the farmers dry, robbing them of Rs 500 to Rs 800 per carton for their high-quality produce.

Whereas they should have got Rs 2200 to Rs 2400 per carton for the premium apple, they are getting Rs 1600 to Rs 1800 per carton in markets of Pinjor, Parala, Bhattakufar, Solan, Parwanu these days. 

There is a well- organised open loot of their high quality fruit whose  prices have  been dropped drastically to corner this fruit as much lower a price as they can, rued the farmers. 

Farmers from the high-altitude areas of Shimla are producing apples that are crisp, juicy, and have a long shelf life, lasting up to 8 months in controlled atmosphere (CA) stores.

Yet, these farmers are getting peanuts for their hard work, while low-quality fruit—lacking in colour, crunch, and juice—was  sold earlier at higher prices in the same markets.

Earlier in August, even subpar fruit was fetching over Rs 2500- 3000 per carton, but now the tide has turned against those with the best produce.

The arhtiyas, in a well-coordinated conspiracy, have slashed prices for the high-quality fruit by up to Rs 1000 per carton, complained the farmers.

They did so under the ruse that the arrival of fruit is on higher side while cheaper imports from Iran, Turkey and low quality apples from Jammu and Kashmir are also a culprit. 

Their game plan is simple: They are buying themselves the fruit for themselves at cheap rates these days by planting their own  middlemen as buyers during auction.

Many of them store the "cheaply bought high quality fruit in private CA stores and sell at exorbitant higher prices in lean months from April to June in the domestic market". 

These underhand deals are taking place under towels and handkerchiefs on the  open auction yards and behind in the backrooms,  far from the prying eyes of authorities.

The arhtiyas have taken over auction yards in markets like Parala, Parwanoo, least talk about Solan, Rohru and Narkanda where there are  no open auction yards.

Their  open competitive auctions are just a sham. Instead, deals are being struck behind the scenes, with prices fixed in the evening, completely bypassing the legal auction process, rued the farmers. 

The small and marginal farmers are bearing the brunt of this unfair system. Pinjore arhtiyas had promised purchase of apple as per Dar, but many arhtiyas are cutting the prices of  small graded apples by 20 to 30 per cent, resented the farmers. 

There are few takers of the Adani's  CA store prices- Rs 80 per kg for premium apple as the farmers are not getting even Rs 40 kg as an average prices in its Shimla CA yards.    

These arhtiyas are giving their big producers—even if they supply them with "large quantities of low-quality apples"—preferential treatment, paying them Rs 500 to Rs 1000 more per carton than the smaller farmers.

Meanwhile, those who work tirelessly to produce premium apples are left to fend for themselves in a rigged game.

What’s worse is that the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) in both Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are turning a blind eye to these dirty tricks.

Insiders claim that some officials are in on the game, making sure that no one intervenes as the Arhtis and traders rob the farmers blind.

Farmers who once believed in the promises of fair auctions are now left heartbroken.

The piles of apple cartons in the auction yards mainly in Parala serve as cover for these under towels or backroom deals.

There’s no visible auction happening from one end of the yard to the other in Parala,  Panjore and other Mandis these days, pointed out the farmers.

Instead, the arhtiyas hide behind stacks of apples, striking deals with traders under towels, far away from the supposed transparency of an open auction.

The farmers welcome the universal  cartons that have checked overpackaging in markets. But who will check these underhand deals? 

All the big talk by horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi and the APMC about ensuring fair prices has turned out to be empty promises.

Farmers are crying foul, but there seems to be no one listening.

The system, which is supposed to support small and marginal farmers, is instead lining the pockets of a few big players, leaving the rest to suffer.

The apple farmers of Shimla deserve better.

It’s high time that the authorities step in to break up these shady deals, enforce the rules, and bring transparency back to the apple markets.