The road blockade by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana over sugarcane prices disrupted Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) services on the Pune-Kolhapur route, with around 130 bus trips cancelled over the past two days. The agitation affected the supply of select fruits and vegetables arriving from Karnataka, pushing up wholesale prices of tomatoes and elaichi bananas in Pune’s Gultekdi market.The farmers’ organisation has been staging road blockades at Nagthane in Satara district and the Kini toll plaza in Kolhapur district, demanding an initial payment of Rs 4,200 per tonne of sugarcane. The agitation began at 11 am on Tuesday, November 3, and was continuing till Thursday evening, bringing traffic on several stretches of the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway to a standstill.The blockade has led to severe congestion on the Mumbai-bound and Kolhapur-bound carriageways, with traffic disruptions reported at Satara, Nagthane, Atit, Umbraj and Kini-Wathar. The police have been diverting vehicles through interior village roads to ease congestion.The disruption has also affected MSRTC’s festive travel operations. Arun Siya, Pune Divisional Controller of the MSRTC, told The Indian Express that services on the Kolhapur route had remained completely suspended for the past two days, resulting in the cancellation of around 130 trips.“We had planned special bus services starting November 3 to cater to the festive rush. However, due to the blockade, we are currently able to operate services only up to Satara,” Siya said.While the supply of most vegetables in Pune remained largely unaffected, traders said the movement of certain varieties arriving from Karnataka were disrupted. Kiran Raykar, a vegetable trader at the Gultekdi wholesale market, said most of Pune’s vegetable supply comes from the Pune’s rural areas and Satara, and has therefore not been significantly affected.“Vegetable demand is also relatively low at present, as many people have left the city for vacations. However, the supply of gavran tomatoes from Bengaluru has been affected by the blockade, pushing wholesale prices to Rs 15-16 per kg from around Rs 10 per kg. The locally available variety is selling at around Rs 8 per kg,” Raykar said.Story continues below this adThe disruption has also affected the arrival of elaichi bananas from Karnataka and other southern states, with traders reporting a decline in daily supplies and an increase in prices.Tanmay Raykar, a fruit trader at the Gultekdi wholesale market, said the daily arrival of elaichi bananas had fallen from around 30 tonnes to 20-25 tonnes due to the disruption.“Elaichi banana prices generally remain high from Shravan until Navaratri, after which they usually decline to around Rs 70-80 per kg. However, with supplies affected by the road blockade, prices have increased to Rs 90-100 per kg,” he said.He added that supplies of other fruits had remained relatively stable as local production continued to meet market demand.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti called for a shutdown across Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts on Friday. Shetti has alleged that sugar mill owners and the administration have been ignoring farmers’ demands on sugarcane pricing and refusing to engage in meaningful discussions.The administration has initiated efforts to engage with the protesting farmers. Following directions from the Kolhapur District Collector, the Hatkanangale tehsildar visited the protest site and held discussions with Shetti.Meanwhile, NCP MLA Hasan Mushrif appealed to Shetti to defer the agitation during the Diwali period, citing the inconvenience caused to commuters and transporters.“Thousands of people, including children, senior citizens and truck drivers, are facing difficulties because of the blockade. Raju Shetti should defer the protest,” Mushrif said while speaking to the media on Thursday.