Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday made an early-morning visit to the Yeshwanthpur APMC Yard here, interacting with farmers, traders and porters to understand their problems first-hand.

Arriving at around 6 am, Shivakumar went around the potato, onion, ginger and garlic markets, speaking to farmers, traders, intermediaries and labourers.

He enquired about the produce, profits, commissions, transportation and deductions at the APMC, while also inspecting facilities at the yard.

“I came here at 6 am. I have seen the farmers, the vehicles coming from outside, and where all the vehicles have come from. I observed the entire market here — the potato, onion, ginger and garlic markets, the Asian wholesale market,” Shivakumar told reporters.

The CM sat on onion sacks while speaking to farmers and traders and later joined the workers for breakfast. He also had coffee with them and personally checked the bathrooms at the market.

“I spoke to the farmers. I spoke to the traders. I also spoke to the intermediaries here. I spoke to the women who are working as labourers. I had breakfast here as well. I saw the bathrooms and had coffee,” he said.

During his interaction with potato growers, Shivakumar asked about their annual production, the source of the produce and the commission they paid.

Farmers told him that a two per cent commission was charged in some transactions, while another worker mentioned a commission of 60 paise per kg.

He also sought to know about the difficulties faced by farmers in markets outside Bengaluru.

“The farmers also told me about the kind of injustice taking place in the markets in Vijayapura, Gulbarga and other places, and why they are bringing their produce to Bengaluru to sell it,” he said.

“I also asked how much commission they are paying here and how much is being deducted by the APMC. I am not going to speak about all that now, but they have told me everything,” Shivakumar added.

Farmers from Kalaburagi, Bidar and Vijayapura told the Chief Minister that traders in those markets charged commissions of Rs eight to Rs 10, while no commission was charged from farmers at Yeshwanthpur, prompting them to bring their produce to Bengaluru.

Shivakumar also asked farmers whether police demanded money when they brought their produce to the market, whether they were paid on time, the cost of cultivation per acre and whether their produce was being weighed correctly. He personally checked the weighing of onions.

Farmers said the lack of rainfall had reduced onion yields substantially this year. While they normally harvested 150-200 sacks per acre, the yield had fallen to around 50 sacks, they said.

They also told him that excessive rainfall could cause onions to rot in the fields and that, at times, the returns were not even enough to cover the cost of transporting the produce to the market.

The CM joined the workers for breakfast and spoke to them about their livelihood, house rent, electricity bills and government benefits.

One worker told him that he had never sat and spoken so closely with a Chief Minister before.

“For us farmers, this is the first time. Sitting with the Chief Minister, joking around and having tea. I am 60 years old. I have never sat with any Chief Minister like this,” the worker said.

Shivakumar also heard grievances over crop insurance.

A farmer from Ittanahalli village in Jevargi taluk told him that 93 farmers had paid their crop insurance premiums to a self-help society, but their claims were rejected after the society allegedly failed to remit the money to the DCC Bank.

After checking the list of farmers who had paid the premiums, Shivakumar directed officials to dismiss the society secretary responsible for the alleged negligence.

When he asked another farmer whether he had insured his crop, a farmer from Challakere taluk in Chitradurga district said, “We paid Rs 6,500 per hectare as insurance premium, but we have not received anything.”

The Chief Minister directed officials to obtain details from the farmer and look into the matter.

During his interaction with mandi traders, Shivakumar also asked how much they paid to the APMC. One trader said they paid 60 paise for every Rs 100, while another said he paid Re 1.

“If they collect anything more than that, tell me. I will deal with them,” Shivakumar said.

Farmers also complained that some traders purchased produce directly from them without coming to the APMC, allegedly fixing one price and subsequently manipulating the weights while taking away the produce.

Shivakumar directed officials to take steps to prevent such manipulation.

Child labour also emerged as a major concern during his interaction with workers. Shivakumar said he had been particularly distressed by the presence of children at the market and directed officials to ensure that they were not employed there.

“First, we have to ask these children and immediately stop them from working here. That is the first thing,” he said.