Solan APMC gives defaulter agents 1-month ultimatum

In an effort to rein in commission agents who have failed to pay apple growers on time, the Solan-based Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) has served a one-month deadline to clear all pending dues or face legal action. The committee’s move comes amid rising frustration among growers, many of whom have waited months for payments despite the marketing season having concluded long ago.

APMC Secretary Raghav Sood said the committee received 22 complaints this season, involving unpaid dues amounting to Rs 31.5 lakh. Despite issuing notices and holding repeated follow-ups, the APMC has managed to recover only Rs 1.80 lakh so far. Four traders remain the major defaulters, with two of them alone responsible for nearly Rs 28 lakh in unpaid payments. Sood warned that failure to comply within the stipulated month will lead to strict consequences, including non-renewal of their commission licences.

The delay in payments has pushed many growers to the brink, particularly those from remote pockets of Shimla and Sirmaur who rely heavily on timely returns from their harvest. With agents often turning unresponsive or vanishing after procuring fruit consignments, the APMC office has been inundated with complaints.

“Selling apples has become a gamble. Growers are left at the mercy of commission agents, many of whom fail to pay on time,” said Govind, an orchardist from Kotgarh in Shimla. He added that even local traders from Solan and Shimla have been found defaulting.

The scale of apple trade in the region continues to expand, with the Solan APMC handling nearly 20 lakh boxes this season and Parwanoo another 10 lakh. However, alongside this growth, the number of disputes has also climbed. Historically, Rs 4 crore in payments were pending against 26 commission agents, based on 298 complaints filed in past seasons. To address long-standing grievances, the APMC has initiated legal proceedings in 24 cases concerning agents operating in Solan and Parwanoo. Legal formalities for the remaining two cases have also been completed.

Officials say the latest crackdown is part of a broader push to safeguard growers and restore confidence in the marketing system.