Farmers in Maharashtra Demonstrate at Wholesale Markets Against Imposition of 40% Duty on Exports of Onions

On Sunday, farmers in at least three districts of Maharashtra demonstrated at APMCs in opposition to the Center’s proposal to charge a 40% levy on the export of the food staple.

State Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde said that he will communicate with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday in an effort to find a “amicable” resolution to the matter amid demonstrations.

Farmers protested in wholesale markets in Satana, Malegaon, and Lasalgaon (in the Nashik district), in Ahmednagar, and in Manchar and Khed (in the Pune district) the day after the Central government placed a 40% levy on the export of onions until December 31, 2023.

Chhagan Bhujbal, a member of Munde’s cabinet, promised to discuss the onion export tariff problem with BJP leader and state deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

“I’ll ask him to speak with Delhi authorities about this. We will make an effort to find a cooperative solution, Bhujbal assured reporters.

To put pressure on the Union government, demonstrations would be place in wholesale markets all throughout Maharashtra, according to a representative of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna (SSS).

Nana Patole, the head of the Maharashtra Congress, said that the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition is in favor of businesspeople and industrialists.

The state administration is working very hard to keep onion prices down and it doesn’t give a damn about growers’ interests. We reject the Union government’s plan to tax onions being exported, he said.

Onion farmers in Ahmednagar district’s Rahuri tehsil earlier in the day stopped the wholesale market’s ongoing auction of the bulb.

“The anti-farmer stance of the Union administration has once again surfaced. Maharashtrian farmers had high expectations for the export of onions, but the levy imposed has insured that there won’t be any export. Farmers would suffer losses as a result of the domestic market’s price collapse, said SSS state president Sandeep Jagtap.

He said that the lack of rain in certain areas of Maharashtra would delay the arrival of fresh onions in the market and that the government is only looking out for the interests of consumers while disregarding farmers.

The export duty has informed merchants that all of the available onions will be sold in local markets alone, thus the Center should pay attention to our problems as well. Farmers are protesting in Rahuri because traders are suddenly offering lower rates for their products.

The cost of the common kitchen item increased by about 45% last week, according to sources at India’s biggest wholesale onion market, Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee.

“Two weeks ago, onion was being sold for Rs 1,500 per quintal. In only one week, it rose to Rs 2,200. As exports have become all but impossible, rates have now begun to decline, according to a merchant from Lasalgaon APMC.