Noopur Bhandiwad, Pune
Amidst protests by farmers and traders against the government’s decision to impose an export duty of 40% on onions, Maharashtra Minister Dada Bhuse said that it would not make any difference if people who cannot afford onions avoided consuming them for a few months.
On August 19, the Union Government imposed a 40 percent export duty on onions until December 31 through a customs notification. This move came when prices of onions had increased and there was a need to increase availability in the domestic market. This is the first time that an export duty has been imposed on onions.
However, the state minister said that the decision to impose export duty should have been implemented with systematic planning.
Speaking to the media, the minister said, “When you use a vehicle worth Rs 10 lakh, you can purchase produce at a higher price of Rs 10 or Rs 20 than the retail rate. For those who cannot afford to buy onions, it would make no difference for them if they did not eat it for two to four months.”
He added that onions sometimes acquire rates of Rs 200 per quintal while sometimes it attracts Rs 2000 per quintal. According to Bhuse, we can arrive at a cordial decision if we hold a discussion on it.
On Monday, traders made a decision to close onion auctions indefinitely in all the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Nashik. This also included Lasalgaon, which contains the largest wholesale onion market in India.
According to sources, the call to refrain from participating in onion auctions indefinitely by the Nashik District Onion Traders Association is here to remain until the center rolls back its decision. Many farmers and traders staged protests all over the district to demand a withdrawal of the export duty.