Cuttack: The administration has relocated the greengrocers of Chhatrabazar to the main road at Badambadi here to ensure social distancing among the customers amid the coronavirus scare.
However, greengrocers have claimed that the supply of vegetables to the city has gone down by at least 40 per cent in last few days. They have expressed apprehension that the situation may turn worse in the coming days.
According to sources, farmers from Athagarh, Banki, Salipur, 42-Mouza and Choudwar in the district here usually supply vegetables to the Silver City. This apart, the greengrocers of Cuttack source vegetables from farmers in Bolangir, Angul, Bargarh and Keonjhar districts.
However, the worldwide coronavirus scare and the subsequent precautionary measures introduced by the centre and state governments have affected the supply of vegetables to the city.
“The ongoing 21-day lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus has disrupted the vegetable supply chain. The restrictions on vehicular traffic have prevented the farmers to send their vegetables to Cuttack. The supply of vegetable has gone down by 40 per cent in last few days,” said vegetable trader Debendranath Sahu.
Some greengrocers of the city also claimed that the production of vegetables in the city outskirts has come down due to the onset of summer. “The situation will deteriorate in next two weeks. The supply crunch may lead to rise in the prices of vegetables,” said another vegetable trader of Chhatrabazar.
Many farmers from the district, meanwhile, blamed the curbs on vehicular traffic for the decrease in vegetable supply to Cuttack city.
“Now, big traders are not sourcing vegetables from us due to the restrictions on vehicular traffic. We are facing problems to sell our produce. Many farmers are being forced to feed vegetables to cattle. This lockdown has started taking its toll on our livelihood,” said Rohit Pradhan, a vegetable farmer of Samasarpur in the district here.
Basudev Pradhan, another farmer from the district, claimed that huge quantities of vegetables have started rotting in farmlands due to restrictions on vehicular traffic.
“We have taken adequate measures to avoid congregation of people near our vegetable shops. The administration should consider the prevailing situation and provide certain relaxation to farmers and traders to transport vegetables,” Sahu said.