In response to an official letter from MP S. Muniswamy from Karnataka on May 28, the central government announced the complete removal of the 40 percent export duty on onions from Karnataka the very next day. However, the export duty on onions from Maharashtra remains in place, angering farmers in Nashik. As a result, they have halted the onion auction at the private market committee in Lasalgaon in protest.
Last year, the central government imposed a ban on onion exports in Maharashtra, causing significant financial losses for onion farmers and leading to widespread protests. Recently, with the Lok Sabha elections approaching, the government lifted the export ban to address farmers' dissatisfaction. However, a heavy export duty on onions has prevented local market prices from rising. A few days ago, while farmers in Maharashtra were protesting against the export ban, the central government permitted the export of white onions from Gujarat.
Considering the export policies applied in Gujarat and Karnataka, farmers accused the central government of being unfair to onion farmers in Maharashtra. They questioned why Gujarat and Karnataka received different treatment while Maharashtra was left out. The farmers demanded the removal of the 40 percent export duty on onions from Maharashtra within the next eight days, threatening more intense protests if their demands are not met.
"This is very unfair treatment to Maharashtra. We have never seen such injustice between states from any government in the past. Maharashtra is the prime producer of onions and has Asia's largest onion market. This decision by the central government is nothing but unfair treatment towards farmers. We want all farmers in the nation to be treated equally, and we demand a complete waiver of the export duty," said Sandeep Jagtap, President of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana.
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"Onion farmers in Maharashtra are being discriminated against by the central government. Earlier, only the export of white onions was allowed from Gujarat. Now, the 40% export duty on pink onions from Karnataka has been removed, but the export value of onions from Maharashtra, which is the largest producer of onions in the country, is $550 per tonne, and the 40% export duty remains the same. The central government should immediately waive the 40% export duty and the export value of USD 550 for the unconditional export of onions from Maharashtra," said Bharat Dighole, President of the Maharashtra Onion Farmer Producers Association.