Tensions on the Indian-Pakistan border are escalating and vegetable traders from Gujarat have decided to stop the supply of vegetables, especially tomatoes and chilies, to Pakistan. This may affect the nearly Rs 30 million of business of Gujarat farmers and vegetable traders every day.
Ahmedabad General Commission Agent Association general secretary, Ahmed Patel said that daily Gujarat used to send 50 trucks having 10 tonnes of vegetables mainly tomatoes and chilli to Pakistan from Wagah border but stopped it for the past two days, October 6,7, considering the tension between the two countries.
"Since 1997, this is for the first time that Gujarat traders have decided to stop supply of essential veggies to Pakistan. We will not supply the vegetables to Pakistan until the relations between the two countries get normalized," Patel said.
The association plays the role of agent between farmers and dealers to fix the deal and to supply the vegetables to its destination point. Without the nod of the association, the majority of deals of sending vegetables like tomato, chili, lemon and ivy gourd from North and Central Gujarat cannot be struck.
Patel added that the vegetable vendors have to bear a loss of Rs 30 million every day, but the national interest is above the personal interest. "However, we will continue to send the vegetables to Bangladesh, Gulf countries, Canada and South Africa," he said.
Many farmers of Kadi taluka in Mehsana district, which is considered as the hub of tomato production in Gujarat, have also individually decided not to send the vegetable to Pakistan.
(1 Indian Rupee=0.015USD)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com