Rajkot: Around 30 sacks of banned Chinese garlic, weighing around 600 kilograms, were smuggled into the Gondal Marketing Yard today. As soon as the matter came to light, the chairman of the market yard and other officials rushed to the scene.

The arrival of Chinese garlic has raised serious concerns among farmers and traders alike. A man named Altaf is accused of attempting to smuggle the banned garlic into the market yard. The market yard authorities plan to file a police complaint in response to the incident. Traders are demanding an investigation by the Agriculture Department into how the banned garlic reached Gujarat and the exact quantity involved.

Ramnikbhai Vaghasia, a trader at the yard, stated that during today’s garlic collection, about 30 bags containing 600 to 700 kg of Chinese garlic were discovered. The origin of the garlic and who ordered it remains under investigation. The traders have submitted a request to the yard authorities, urging them to take action against those responsible. The yard officials will also raise the matter with the state government, as the arrival of Chinese garlic in India is causing significant harm to local farmers.

Chinese garlic, known for its inferior quality but low price, has been banned in India since 2006 to protect local farmers from financial harm.

Chairman of Gondal Market Yard, Alpeshbhai Dholriya, confirmed that traders had found Chinese garlic in the yard and informed him. He said, “This is considered smuggled goods due to the ban on Chinese garlic in the country. We will raise the issue with the Chief Minister and Home Minister of the state to stop the entry of this garlic into India.” DeshGujarat