We’re with onion farmers, says CM Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra meeting

By PTI

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday instructed the legislative meeting that his authorities is with the onion farmers, amid studies of falling costs of the important thing kitchen staple within the wholesale market, and talked of monetary assist for the growers if required.

Speaking on the ground of the decrease home, Shinde stated, We are firmly standing by the onion growers within the state. NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) has began onion procurement and that might push the costs up.”

NAFED, an apex organisation underneath the Union Ministry of Agriculture, offers with advertising and marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.

“On our request, NAFED has increased its onion procurement and 2. 38 lakh tonnes (of onion) have already been purchased from farmers. If a particular area does not have a procurement centre, then it will be opened for farmers,” Shinde stated on the second day of the finances session of the state legislature.

The value per kilogram of onion got here right down to Rs 2 to Rs 4 on Monday at Maharashtra’s Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee, Asia’s greatest onion market, prompting offended farmers to cease the public sale of the bulb.

ALSO READ | Onion costs will keep depressed until mid-March: Experts

“There is no ban on export of onions. If required, farmers will get some financial assistance as well,” the chief minister stated.

Earlier within the meeting, Chhagan Bhujbal, an NCP chief from Nashik district, spoke about farmers’ misery and questioned the Centre’s coverage over onion.

“One of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the state is in my constituency. As per available information, there is a huge demand for Indian onion in countries like Turkiye, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Belarus. We should export onion so that it benefits our farmers,” stated the senior Nationalist Congress Party chief.

“Several international traders have complained that the Indian government is arbitrarily imposing ban (on onion export) or lifting it. Hence, they are not keen on procuring (onion) from us. There is no consistency in our policy,” he stated.

“I urge the state government to speak with the people in Delhi, maybe Piyush Goyal (Union commerce minister), but ensure farmers do not incur losses,” he stated.

ALSO READ | Maharashtra farmer earns solely Rs 2.49 web revenue on sale of 512 kg onions

On the difficulties confronted by onion growers, BJP legislator Rahul Aher stated, “The Russia-Ukraine war, weakening economy of Sri Lanka and the situation in Bangladesh are also responsible for poor demand from Maharashtra. There are many states in the country that have started onion cultivation, which has negatively affected the farmers of our state.”

Before they entered the House, opposition leaders sat on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised slogans to focus on the plunge in onion costs.

Earlier this month, a farmer from Maharashtra’s Solapur district earned a revenue of Rs 2.49 towards the sale of 512 kg onions to a dealer within the district.

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday instructed the legislative meeting that his authorities is with the onion farmers, amid studies of falling costs of the important thing kitchen staple within the wholesale market, and talked of monetary assist for the growers if required.

Speaking on the ground of the decrease home, Shinde stated, We are firmly standing by the onion growers within the state. NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) has began onion procurement and that might push the costs up.”

NAFED, an apex organisation underneath the Union Ministry of Agriculture, offers with advertising and marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); );

“On our request, NAFED has increased its onion procurement and 2. 38 lakh tonnes (of onion) have already been purchased from farmers. If a particular area does not have a procurement centre, then it will be opened for farmers,” Shinde stated on the second day of the finances session of the state legislature.

The value per kilogram of onion got here right down to Rs 2 to Rs 4 on Monday at Maharashtra’s Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee, Asia’s greatest onion market, prompting offended farmers to cease the public sale of the bulb.

ALSO READ | Onion costs will keep depressed until mid-March: Experts

“There is no ban on export of onions. If required, farmers will get some financial assistance as well,” the chief minister stated.

Earlier within the meeting, Chhagan Bhujbal, an NCP chief from Nashik district, spoke about farmers’ misery and questioned the Centre’s coverage over onion.

“One of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the state is in my constituency. As per available information, there is a huge demand for Indian onion in countries like Turkiye, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Belarus. We should export onion so that it benefits our farmers,” stated the senior Nationalist Congress Party chief.

“Several international traders have complained that the Indian government is arbitrarily imposing ban (on onion export) or lifting it. Hence, they are not keen on procuring (onion) from us. There is no consistency in our policy,” he stated.

“I urge the state government to speak with the people in Delhi, maybe Piyush Goyal (Union commerce minister), but ensure farmers do not incur losses,” he stated.

ALSO READ | Maharashtra farmer earns solely Rs 2.49 web revenue on sale of 512 kg onions

On the difficulties confronted by onion growers, BJP legislator Rahul Aher stated, “The Russia-Ukraine war, weakening economy of Sri Lanka and the situation in Bangladesh are also responsible for poor demand from Maharashtra. There are many states in the country that have started onion cultivation, which has negatively affected the farmers of our state.”

Before they entered the House, opposition leaders sat on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised slogans to focus on the plunge in onion costs.

Earlier this month, a farmer from Maharashtra’s Solapur district earned a revenue of Rs 2.49 towards the sale of 512 kg onions to a dealer within the district.