No social distancing: 6 Gujarat APMCs shut; supply may be hit

The APMC at Jamalpur, which traditionally supplies vegetables and fruits to Ahmedabad city, was shifted to Jetalpur due to overcrowding.




Vegetable supply to large cities like Ahmedabad and Vadodara is likely to be adversely affected after six Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Gujarat, including one at Jetalpur that supplies fresh vegetables and fruits to Ahmedabad, have been closed due to concerns surrounding overcrowding and the lack of social distancing, state government officials said on Monday.

Talking about the “harsh decision” Ashwini Kumar, Secretary to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, told mediapersons, “Six markets including those at Jetalpur, Padra, Himmatnagar, Kapadvanj, Dholka and Kalol have been shut down for various reasons. At some places, it was due to the lack of social distancing and overcrowding.”

The APMC at Jamalpur, which traditionally supplies vegetables and fruits to Ahmedabad city, was shifted to Jetalpur due to overcrowding. According to official sources, crowds continued to swell at the Jetalpur market during auction processes despite the lockdown. Jetalpur has been shut since April 12.

Similarly the APMC at Padra which caters tp 600-odd vegetable farmers from nearly 90 villages, supplies fresh produce to the city in Central Gujarat. The 6 APMCs shut shutting down of APMCs in Himmatnagar, Kapadvanj and Kalol will leave vegetable and fruit supplies to North Gujarat severely affected.

When asked if the closure of these APMCs will lead to disruption in the supply chain, Kumar said, “The bottom line is that the government has to ensure there is no chaos and there is social distancing. Be it APMCs or any other place, harsh decisions — which include closures — will have to be taken in the current situation.”

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