Halted auction causes onions to rot

LOKMAT NEWS NETWORK

Lasalgaon, Sep 29

Onion auctions have been shut for the last 11 days due to the strike called by onion traders in the market committees of the district. Therefore, turnover of about Rs 150 to Rs 200 crore in the market committees, including Lasalgaon, has come to a standstill. Therefore, the onions stored by the farmers are not being brought to the markets, due to which they have begun to rot.

Due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms, farmers suffered huge losses. The onion saved from this crisis is now rotting as the auctions of onion have been stopped by the traders in the market committees. Due to inadequate rainfall this year, maize and other crops have been damaged too.

The farmers are in a big dilemma as they can not bring farm produce to the market. Traders have demanded immediate cancellation of the 40 percent export duty. The trade associations have decided to close the onion auction for this demand and put the state government on hold until the demand is not accepted. No solution was found in a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai to resolve the problems of onion traders in the district. After that, the meeting with the union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also proved fruitless. The onion crisis continues and its effects are seen on the farmers.

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Accusation by traders

The union government has imposed a 40 percent export duty on onion exports. Due to this decision, and with the view that the onion-producing farmers should not suffer, the union government bought onions at the rate of Rs 2,410 per quintal through NAFED and NCCF. But traders allege that the same onion is being sold at a lower rate, causing huge loss to them. Meanwhile, in order to not cause loss to the farmers, onion auction was held in the sub-market at Vinchur; giving some relief to the farmers.