The wholesale prices of potatoes which were Rs 8 per kg on October 20, are at present priced at Rs 18 per kg, while tomatoes which were priced between Rs 12 and Rs 15 on October 22, compared to the earlier price of Rs 6 per kg on Wednesday. Prices of other vegetables and fruits have also gone through the roof.

While markets are starving for supplies on one hand, fresh horticultural produce is piling up and rotting in parts of Bangalore (as also at the growers' end) for want of transportation.

While traders attempted to use alternative means (such as three-wheelers and tractor-trailers) to move the produce to the markets, they were stalled by striking truckers who even resorted to sabotage.

NC Basavannaiah, one of the directors of Bangalore Fruits Merchants Commission Agents' Association said the prices are expected to escalate further.

According to Bangalore Grain Merchants' Association president CP Subha Raju Shetty, the truck strike had brought the trading activities to a standstill. ``Once the retailer exhausts his stock he will not be able to get fresh stock from wholesalers,'' he said.

According to Bangalore Vegetable Merchants Association sources, the vegetable prices went up soon after the government revised the diesel prices on October 6. Now with the truck strike, they were up by 50 to 100 per cent and could go up further depending on how long the strike continued.

Karnataka Traders' Association president K Lakshman said as far as trading was concerned, the activities of all three major trading hubs (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Yard--a co-operative society--and two other major markets) in the city had come to a standstill. Truck operators had blocked entry to even small vehicles and farmers, he said.

``I do not see any reason for the agitation and creating this cartel as the transportation cost was increased by 30 per cent immediately after the government effected new diesel prices. Actually, consumers should be agitating as they bear the burden,'' Lakshman added.

According to officials in APMC Yard, the members of the truck owners association were damaging small vehicles that carried vegetables to the market place. ``They flattened the tyres of mini trucks that carried potatoes and onions from Kolar and blockaded the yard,'' said an official.

However, the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners' Association president B Chenna Reddy said the union was determined to achieve its ends. ``We will continue with our agitation till the government does something about it.'' The state has over 1,35,000 trucks.

According to AP Shanmuga Sundaram general secretary Federation of Southern States Goods Vehicles Owners' Association, ``We have no other go than continuing with the strike. We are helpless. We stopped the truck traffic as we cannot afford to incur losses.''