Onion farmers blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra Freeway at three locations in Nashik on Friday and determined to cease onion auctions in wholesale markets of the district indefinitely after the Centre introduced a ban on the export of onion.
The Centre has banned onion exports until March 31 subsequent 12 months to extend home availability and to maintain costs in examine.
The choice to cease auctions from Saturday was taken at a gathering of the Nashik District Onion Merchants Affiliation in Chandwad, a functionary stated.
“The government should have given an ultimatum at least a week in advance before taking a decision on the export ban. All traders are now confused and have decided to stop auctions. They will resume when the trade regularises,” Nashik District Onion Merchants Affiliation president Khandu Deore advised PTI.
“Earlier on Friday, farmers stopped auctions at onion markets of Lasalgaon, Chandwad, Nandgaon, Dindori, Yeola, Umarane and other places in Nashik district, a major production centre of the commodity located around 200 km from Mumbai,” an official stated.
In response to officers, auctions weren’t held at Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), however the train was performed at Vinchur and Niphad sub-committees of Lasalgaon APMC.
On Friday, 600 automobiles laden with onions arrived at Vinchur, whereas 422 automobiles with crimson onions and 61 automobiles with summer time onions reached Lasalgaon APMC.
“But farmers in Lasalgaon did not allow the auctions, fearing a drop in market prices,” the official stated.
“The minimum price was at Rs 1,500 per quintal, maximum at Rs 3,300 per quintal and Rs 2,700 per quintal average,” they stated.
A whole lot of cultivators gathered on the Mumbai-Agra Freeway and blocked the street utilizing tractors in three locations, the official stated.
“Farmers also staged ‘rasta rokos’ (road blockade) at Jaikheda, Chandwad, Umarane, Nandgaon and Mungse in Malegaon to protest against the Centre’s move,” he stated.
Protestors dispersed peacefully after appeals by the Nashik police, and no pressure was used on the farmers.
Lasalgaon APMC chairperson Balasaheb Kshirsagar advised PTI, “The Centre’s decision is not in favour of farmers. Onion prices were not rising sharply and had come down in the last five to six days. This decision will cause losses to farmers, and we demand a rollback.”
“At present, the prices are Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per quintal, though people are selling it at Rs 3,000 per quintal,” he stated, blaming middlemen for rising the charges.
“There should be no middlemen, and the government should decide to sell onions directly,” he stated.
Kiran Darade, a farmer agitating at Yeola, stated, “The central government imposed the export ban without any intimation or complaint. Farmers have suffered losses due to unseasonal rainfall and hail. Corn and onion crops have suffered. The ban should be revoked as soon as possible.”
Earlier in October, the Centre had determined to step up the sale of buffer onion inventory on the subsidised price of Rs 25 per kg in retail markets to offer reduction to shoppers.
To regulate costs, the federal government imposed a minimal export value (MEP) of $800 per tonne on onion exports from October 28 to December 31 this 12 months.
In August, India imposed a 40 per cent export responsibility on onions as much as December 31.
“At present, 9,000 to 10,000 quintals of onions arrive at the APMCs here every day. With the late Kharif crop also expected to arrive soon, the quantity would increase,” the official added.