Nashik, Aug 23 (PTI) – Following a three-day halt, onion auctions in Maharashtra’s Nashik district are scheduled to recommence on Thursday. This decision comes as traders, who had been protesting against the imposition of a 40 percent export duty on onions, have chosen to withdraw their agitation. The representative of the traders shared this update on Wednesday, indicating a resolution to the ongoing deadlock.
The development unfolded during a meeting that convened representatives of traders, exporters, and farmers in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Bharati Pawar. Reflecting on the meeting, Dr. Pawar conveyed that the traders in Nashik had reconsidered the closure of onion auctions at Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). As a result, auction operations are set to resume.
Addressing the core issue, Dr. Pawar expressed that efforts will be made to appeal to the Union government to reconsider the 40 percent export duty on onions, striving for a constructive decision on the matter. Dr. Pawar, a Member of Parliament from Dindori in Nashik, emphasized the significance of collaboration between traders and policymakers.
The closure of onion auctions in various APMCs across Nashik, including the notable Lasalgaon APMC recognized as Asia’s largest wholesale onion market, had stemmed from traders’ objections to the elevated export duty on this kitchen staple. To quell concerns, Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal clarified that the export duty’s intention was to safeguard consumer interests. He also assured farmers of the government’s efforts to acquire an additional 2 lakh tonnes of onions to prevent undue panic sales.
Echoing this sentiment, Khandu Deore, the President of the Nashik District Onion Traders Association, stated that their aim was for the Union government to weigh traders’ interests in duty imposition decisions. Recognizing the collaborative spirit, Deore acknowledged Dr. Pawar’s assurance to consider their demands. As a result, the agitation was called off, and the onion auctions are set to recommence.
Dr. Pawar highlighted the significance of farmers’ welfare in governmental actions and assured that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) would continue purchasing onions alongside APMCs. She encouraged farmers to make informed decisions based on favorable prices.
In response to ongoing demands and demonstrations, Dr. Pawar assured that the government would address the concerns regarding traders’ stranded containers and reiterated the call for a reevaluation of the 40 percent export duty.
The district witnessed the persistence of agitations against the export duty and related issues. Activists, including those from the Nationalist Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar faction, staged a protest along the Nashik-Pune national highway. Demands ranged from rolling back the export duty hike to securing a minimum support price (MSP) for onions, and addressing broader agricultural concerns.
In reshaping the discourse surrounding Nashik’s onion industry, collaboration between traders, farmers, and policymakers emerged as a focal point, emphasising the shared goal of fostering the region’s agricultural welfare.
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