Frustrated farmers from Chandwad town of Nashik district on Friday staged a road blockade on the Mumbai-Agra Highway demanding that the Centre reduce the minimum export price (MEP) on onion even as pr
Frustrated farmers from Chandwad town of Nashik district on Friday staged a road blockade on the Mumbai-Agra Highway demanding that the Centre reduce the minimum export price (MEP) on onion even as prices dipped to the lowest — Rs 900 per quintal — in Chandwad, Lasalgaon and other places in the district.
When the agricultural produce market committee (APMC) began in the morning, the prices quoted were minimum Rs 900 per quintal, maximum Rs 1,650 and average Rs 1,350 per quintal. Enraged, farmers then took to the streets and marched to the Mumbai-Agra Highway and staged a blockade for nearly half an hour. The police and tehsildar rushed to the spot and managed to placate the farmers.
The farmers gave a memorandum to the collector through the tehsildar. The Chandwad police said that no arrests had been made. Chandwad APMC chairman Dr Atmaram Kumbharde said that onion prices were going down, as exports were limited.
“Exporters have told farmers that they would not be exporting onion because of higher MEP, causing fear among farmers. Local merchants too are scared to buy at higher prices. If the MEP is lowered to a practical level, exports will increase and onion prices will stabilise. During this fortnight, prices have dropped by as much as Rs 500 to Rs 1,200 per quintal,” Dr Kumbharde stated.
Meanwhile, in Lasalgaon, APMC prices too were subdued. The prices quoted were minimum Rs 900 per quintal, maximum Rs 2,001 and average Rs 1,400 per quintal. Last month, Lasalgaon APMC chairman Nanasaheb Patil demanded that the Centre reduce the MEP on this tuber crop.
The present MEP is $700 per tonne. Onion currently sold in the market is the lal (red) variety also known as rangda or late kharif onion. The life of this product is one fortnight. Hence, it is necessary that it should be consumed immediately.
