The office-bearers of Grain Merchants Association and Commerce Industrial Organisation and other organisations have informed that Agricultural Product Marketing  Committee would hold indefinite bundh from August 1,  protesting against the  proposed amendment in APMC act by the State government. 

The amendment will put farmers in trouble, said  Grain Merchants Association President G H Paramashivaiah,  Commerce Industrial  Organisation  President Sunil Javali,  Karnataka Region Farmers Association Convener B Umesh, State Farmers Association President A Govindaraju, Devaraju, Rice Mill Owners Association President N R Vishwaradya, Someshwara Gupta, Storage Labourers Association Secretary Govindaiah.

The State government has brought the amendment  in Karnataka Agricultural Product Marketing  Act, despite the opposition from farmers, traders and business men. Hence,  Indian market, farmers and traders will face many problems. ‘Open Market system is not suitable for our market system’, they said.Moreover, it will have adverse effects on  the APMC business. Farmers may have to face several problems, they added.

Tumkur Agricultural Product  Marketing Committee will also participate in the indefinite bundh which will begin in the state from August 1, they informed.

The State government is doing the amendment in a hurry. Inspite of informing the Government on the adverse effects of the amendment, the Government has not considered it. ‘It had assured that the problem will be resolved through negotiation, but now, it has sent the act for Governor’s approval’, they said.  The Governor should not approve the act. The bundh has been planned to protect the interests of farmers and local traders, they informed.

Benefit for MNC’s
 
The amendment will allow the multinational companies  to loot the country’s agricultural products, they stated. The implementation of the act would make Indians to depend on foreign market for the agricultural products. ‘It is not helpful for our farmers, instead it would help multinational companies’. The amendment would become a threat to Indian farmers, they said.