The Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav on Thursday said that the government is committed to protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen regarding vegetable prices.

As concerns regarding the involvement of middlemen with the increment of vegetable prices rose in the Capital, Minister Yadav said that the government would create an environment fit for fair trade in the vegetable business. The prices of vegetables across the country have skyrocketed. A quick glance at the retail price list of vegetables at Kalimati Market shows that rates of seasonal vegetables like potato, bitter gourd, brinjal, lady finger, carrot and tomato have increased by 20 to 30 percent within a month. Likewise, the price of off-season vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and green pea, has jumped 40 to 50 percent.

A field study carried out by the Department of Supplies Management also found

that traders had been charging prices up to five-times higher than what they had paid to farmers.

Addressing a press meet in the Capital on Thursday, Yadav said the government has formed a committee to study the farm to retail price spread, which is the difference between farm gate prices and the prices the consumers are paying. Yadav said that the government would streamline the vegetable business so that consumers are not cheated any more.

According to him, the government is working on making a mandatory provision for traders to produce an invoice of the vegetables they procure from farmers.

Based on recent media reportage, which informed how vegetable traders have been pocketing hefty amounts of profits by misleading consumers and farmers, the government conducted a surprise raid at the country’s largest vegetable marketplace on Monday.

However, traders manhandled and locked the government monitoring officials by expressing dissatisfaction that they were not informed about the surprise monitoring.