SHIMLA: The Himachal Kisan Sabha state committee has extended its support to the struggling apple farmers who have organized themselves under the banner of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti.It has appealed to the apple farmers of Karsog, Kinnaur, Anni, Nirmand, Rampur, Nankhari, Baggi, Naur Tikkar, Kotgarh, Kumarsain, Matiana, Theog and Shilaru to reach Narkanda on September 24, from where they have decided to launch a movement against the commission agents for their ‘exploitation’.Kisan Sabha president Dr Kuldeep Tanwar said in a joint meeting held on September 17 at Narkanda in the presence of SDM Theog, secretary (APMC), deputy director agriculture and other officers of various farmers organizations made serious efforts to discipline the commission agents and asked them to abide by the rules made under the Himachal Pradesh agricultural and horticultural produce marketing (development and regulation) Act, 2005.“It is unfortunate that the commission agents expressed inability to implement the rules and refund illegal deductions to the farmers,” he added. He said according to the provisions of the Act, vegetables and fruits are required to be sold by weight in a regulated market but they were not doing so as far as fruit was concerned.He said when a consumer purchases fruit from the market, it is purchased by weight. The commission agents are allowed a deduction of Rs five per box for unloading the produce sold by the farmer, but they are deducting as many as Rs 30 per box.The Sabha said the commission agents must refund the illegal deductions to the farmers. The APMC must insure the rules and regulations are abided by the commission agents, failing which the government would be held responsible for giving a free hand to the exploiters.It has requested the government not to appease the commission agents as the farmers were making distress sale at a time when the apple production was less than two crores of boxes. The increase on import duty on apple has only been a gimmick. Having made a premature declaration of enhancing the import duty on apple has gone in the advantage of the traders. There has been a massive crash in the apple prices going to the disadvantage of the farmers, it claimed.

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