Farmers lock APMC gate in Chikkamagaluru over low bean prices

Farmers accused local traders of deliberately suppressing prices and exploiting cultivators during the peak marketing season.

Chikkamagaluru : Hundreds of farmers staged a massive protest at the APMC yard in Chikkamagaluru late on the night of Saturday, May 23, alleging that beans traders were cheating them by offering extremely low prices despite higher market rates in other parts of the state. Angry farmers locked the APMC gate and raised slogans against traders and officials, demanding immediate intervention from the district administration.

According to the protesting farmers, beans are currently being sold in Mysuru and Bengaluru APMC markets at rates ranging between Rs 85 and Rs 90 per kilogram. However, traders in Chikkamagaluru were allegedly purchasing the same produce for only Rs 40 to Rs 60 per kilogram, causing heavy losses to growers.

Farmers accused local traders of deliberately suppressing prices and exploiting cultivators during the peak marketing season. The issue triggered outrage among growers, many of whom had arrived at the market expecting fair prices for their produce.

As tensions escalated, farmers gathered inside the APMC premises and locked the main gate, demanding that traders and APMC officials appear before them and clarify the pricing mechanism. Police personnel rushed to the spot and held preliminary discussions with the protesters in an attempt to calm the situation.

The agitating farmers insisted that senior APMC officials and traders must directly address their grievances. However, according to the protesters, several APMC officials remained unavailable despite repeated attempts by revenue authorities to contact them.

Later, Tahsildar Reshma and Assistant Commissioner Natesh visited the protest site and held talks with the farmers. They assured the protesters that a meeting would soon be convened with the Deputy Commissioner to discuss bean price fixation and address the farmers’ concerns.

The protest continued till nearly midnight before the farmers agreed to withdraw their agitation following assurances from the authorities. Farmers warned that if fair prices are not ensured in the coming days, they would intensify their protest across the district.