Onion traders on strike, APMCs in district standstill

LOKMAT NEWS NETWORK

Lasalgaon, Sep 20

The business of the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) in the district came to a standstill on Wednesday, September 20 as onion traders called a strike in favour of their various demands. Due to the non-auction process in the market committees, the turnover of crores has been halted. There was silence on the premises of the various market committees which are always buzzing with activity. Other markets including Pimpalgaon Baswant, Vinchur, Kalwan, and Manmad in the district were also deserted.

The Nashik District Onion Traders Association had given a memorandum to the Chief Minister, the Marketing Minister and the district administration for their various demands. A meeting was held in the collector's office in Nashik on Monday, September 18, but due to lack of a solution to the demands, the association called for an indefinite strike in 17 APMCs of the district including Lasalgaon. Accordingly, on Wednesday, September 20, market committees were completely shut down and the turnover came to a standstill. During Ganeshotsav, and when the drought is looming large, the market committees were closed, causing a big dilemma for the farmers producing onions and other agricultural products.

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Such are the demands...

The rate of the market fee charged by the market committee should be made to 0.50 paisa per Rs 100 instead of Re 1 per Rs 100.

The system of collecting the duty from the sellers at a single rate of four percent should be implemented throughout India, 40 percent export duty for export of onion should be cancelled immediately.

NAFED and NCCF should procure onions at the market premises and sell through ration. To keep the price of onion under control, the union government and state government should give a five percent subsidy on onion trade and a 50 percent subsidy on domestic transportation to traders.

Onion traders should be investigated when the market price is low, not after the market price has increased.

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On one hand, there is the drought situation looming large, on another hand there is this festive season.. selling agricultural produce has become a huge problem as the market committees are shut for various reasons. Government should solve this soon.

- Rama Bhosale, Farmer, Gondegaon

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Wrong decision to strike

Saying that the decision to stop onion auction is wrong, the district president of Rayat Kranti Sangathan, Valmik Sangle has demanded that the marketing department should immediately intervene and take action against traders and restore the onion auction. Like the government, the feeling now is that even the business class is looting and ruining the farmers financially. Indefinite market closure is a part of farmer looting. Sangle has also warned that the government should take immediate action against the traders who keep the onion market closed, otherwise, the farmers will take to the streets and protest.

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Functioning halted at Manmand, Kalwan APMCs

Manmad Agricultural Produce Market Committee has been given notice of closure as per the memorandum of traders. Therefore, onions were not brought to the market premises on Wednesday. Last month, after the union government imposed a 40 percent duty on onion exports, all the onion traders in the district protested by stopping the auction. Now after a month, the traders association has decided to close the onion auction again. There is a demand from the farmers that the marketing department should intervene in this and restore the onion auction. The effect of the traders’ strike was also seen in the Loknete AT Pawar APMC in Kalwan. The turnover of lakhs of rupees was stopped due to the closure of auctions of onion and maize.

Photo: 20 Manmad Market

20 Lasalgaon Market

20 Kalwan Market