NAVI MUMBAI, March 7 -- Trade at the onion-potato wholesale market of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Navi Mumbai has been disrupted after Mathadi workers (head-loaders) began enforcing a 50-kg limit on sacks being unloaded at the market yard from March 1, forcing traders to halt fresh consignments and pushing up wholesale prices. Traders said unloading activities have slowed significantly after workers refused to handle sacks weighing more than the prescribed limit. As trucks carrying produce piled up inside the market yard, traders advised farmers and transporters not to dispatch new consignments until the issue is resolved. The onion-potato market at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Vashi typically receives between 1,000 and 2,000 trucks of produce daily from across Maharashtra and other states. However, arrivals have dropped sharply over the past few days due to delays in unloading consignments. "Our demand is that sacks should be limited to 50 kg. We will unload consignments within that limit, but we will not handle sacks weighing 55, 60 or 65 kg," said Shivram Sakpal, a Mathadi worker at the market yard. He added that the demand has been raised repeatedly over the years, citing safety concerns associated with handling heavier loads. The disruption has already begun affecting prices in the wholesale market. Traders said potato prices at the Vashi APMC, which were earlier around Rs.8-10 per kg, have risen to about Rs.15 per kg, while onion prices have increased from roughly Rs.10-12 per kg to around Rs.15-16 per kg in the past several days amid tighter arrivals and unloading delays. "Potato arrivals have dropped sharply and several trucks remained parked for nearly three days because unloading could not take place," said trader Manohar Totlani. "Potatoes that remained in trucks for three days started deteriorating and traders had to clear the stock at lower prices to avoid losses." The impact is beginning to be felt in retail markets as well. Potatoes in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are retailed at roughly Rs.22-30 per kg, traders said. Onion prices have also risen to about Rs.25-35 per kg from Rs.20-28 per kg earlier....