Guntur chilli yard reopens, separate entry and exit points marked

Guntur: The agricultural marketing department has decided to resume operations at the Guntur chilli yard today. State agriculture minister Kurasala Kannababu and special commissioner and director of agricultural marketing PS Pradyumna held several rounds of discussions with traders and officials last week and asked officials at the yard to chalk out an action plan keeping in mind Covid-19 containment measures and preventing farmers from crowding ahead of launching operations.

Viewing the directive as green signal to reopen for business, the governing body of the agriculture market committee of the yard on Sunday decided to resume operations from today. Chairman of the agriculture market committee Ch Yesurathnam and secretary Venkateswara Reddy held negotiations with key players, including commission agents, exporters, ‘hamalis’, weighmen and staff in the yard on Sunday and drafted a blueprint.

Yesurathnam said transactions in the market would formally commence today and arrangements are in place to avoid a stampede-like situation in the premises of the yard. “Separate entry and exit points have been readied to bring the stocks in and take them out. While entry gates 3 and 4 on Chilakaluripet Highway will be used as entry points, gates on Sattenapalle Highway would be used for exit,” said Yesurathnam.

Yesurathnam said they would allow only 100 commission merchants per day on a rotational basis and allow all exporters. Steps will be taken to see that the number of staff, workers and farmers do not exceed 1,500. Wearing a mask has been made mandatory and traders will handle only between 10,000-20,000 bags per day to avoid congestion of stocks and people in the yard.

However, the decision of the market committee has kicked up a controversy as officials have not readied any action plan to restrict the entry of farmers. “Since we are allowing commission agents on rotation basis, they will alert the farmers as to when they should bring the stocks,” said Venkateswara Reddy.

“This system is nothing but forcing the farmers to sell their stocks only with the help of select commission agents,” said a trader, adding that it would deprive farmers of their right to sell stocks to any trader and result in a fall in price.