Arhtiyas from other states may be allowed at Himachal's APMC mandis

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, July 3

To promote greater competition among commission agents and ensuring better prices to fruit growers and farmers, the government is considering giving licences and space to arhtiyas and traders from other states at its Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis. “We will give them platforms and offices in our market yards alongside the local arhtiyas to buy fruit through auction. The idea is to introduce greater competition among the arhtiyas, which will benefit fruit growers and farmers,” said Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi here today.

Negi said that interested arhtiyas/traders would be called for a meeting shortly and facilitated to set up shop in the APMC mandis. “We have adequate space to accommodate the new market yards coming up. The greater competition among arhtiyas will lead to better remunerative prices for the farmers,” he added.

According to apple growers, it’s a welcome step that will lead to better remunerative prices and payment security. “If arhtiyas from Chandigarh, Delhi and other big centres, having strong financial backing, set up shops in the APMC mandis, it will definitely enhance competition and the growers will benefit a lot,” said Lokender Bisht.

At present, the local arhtiyas dominate the APMC mandis and the cases of delayed payment and payment default are consistently going up. “The commission agents coming from other states will have to make payments promptly. This will force the local arhtiyas also to make timely payments,” said Bisht. Many growers allege that some local commission agents function as loaders as well, and that hurts the interest of the growers.

Meanwhile, a section of local arhtiyas is against the decision. “If traders buying produce from the APMC mandis are allowed to function as arhtiyas, who will be the buyer then? The decision will further hit the mandis, which are already reeling under a crisis as most of the traders buy produce on credit,” said a local arhtiya.

“If the government wants to enhance competition, it should cancel the licences of the commission agents doing business outside the mandis. Bring these commission agents to the mandis and the competition will increase automatically. Then, there will be no need to turn traders into arhtiyas,” he said.

Besides, the local arhtiyas also say bringing arhtiyas from other states will not help the mandis. “Why did the three mandis in the state fail in the 1980s though there was not one local arhtiya there?” an arhtiya asked.