NASHIK :
Farmers in several parts of Nashik district in agitated on Monday over falling onion prices. Average per quintal price for Monday was Rs 1,450 at Lasalgaon, the country’s largest market for the kitchen staple.
Road blockades and protests were held in Lasalgaon, Deola, Pimpalgaon, Yeola and Andarsul in the district, due to which auctions for the day were halted in most agriculture produce market committees with an initiative by State Onion Growers’ Association.
After the central government announced to lift the export ban on onion export to keep onion prices stable, onion producing farmers in Nashik district had got a relief. Following the announcement by Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, onion prices were slightly increased. As the government has not issued a notification yet, traders have again started to buy onion from farmers at lower rates. As farmers were affected by this, Onion Growers’ Association protested government policy and gave a call to shut all market committees in the district on Monday.
Accordingly, office bearers of Association were present at the entrances of market committees in Lasalgaon, Vinchur, Deola, Satana, Yeola, Andarsul and Mungse (Malegaon) since morning. After farmers were made aware of this that farmers’ loss will continue until the government has not issued a notification regarding the lifting of onion ban, most farmers returned to the home. Farmers staged sit-in agitation opposition market committees and protested government’s anti-farmer policies.
As part of the protests, enraged farmers blocked the Nashik-Aurangabad Highway at Andarsul for an hour and threw their onion stock on the highway. Farmers also stopped onion auctions at Pimpalgaon agriculture produce market committee.
Central government should issue a notification regarding the lifting of onion export ban and onion export policy should be favourable for farmers, demanded president of Onion Growers’ Association Bharat Dighole. Farmers staged agitation under his leadership at Lasalgaon. If the government fails to issue the notification, auction at all market committees in the state will be stopped in next two days taking along all onion producers, he and other office bearers of the Association have warned.
Onion export ban to be lifted on Mar 15
New Delhi : The government would lift the ban on onion exports on March 15, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet on Monday. The decision to allow onion exports, which was banned since September last year, was taken at a meeting of the Group of Ministers constituted under the chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah. The lifting of the export ban will help farmers get better prices for their rabi onions, which are expected to arrive in the market in huge quantities this month.
