Farmers seek talks with govt on universal carton

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, December 4

Apple growers have demanded that Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur should direct the Agriculture Department to talk to all groups of farmers before bringing in a legislation in the Vidhan Sabha for making 20-kg universal carton mandatory for apple packaging the next season.

The Progressive Growers Association, Himalayan Apple Growers Society, Theog Growers Society, Apple Growers Society, Kotgarh, and Apple Growers Association, Jubbal, have joined hands under the banner the Federation of Apple Growers (FOAG), demanding that the government should consult stakeholders regarding it.

The farmers demanded that freight should be decided per kg, and not per box, and the APMC must ensure that traders buy fruit per kg. The other costs like commission by arhtiyas at the market yard and labour cost should also be calculated per kg.

But the government has not sent any feeler to the federation. The APMC has yet to finalise the draft.

Rajesh Dhanta, spokesperson, FOAG said. “The government should remove all doubts of the farmers. The new law should be implemented without any financial loss to the growers, who are already reeling under the crisis.” The cost of a carton of apple had increased to Rs 500. The farmers couldn’t afford a legislation that would further increase the cost. The legislation would result in an increase in the input cost. The government needed to ensure that the output prices were also increased, said Kunal Chauhan, member of the FOAG.