Farmers in Maharashtra protest against 40% export duty on onions

The farmers have shut down auctions in all the market committees in Nashik, saying that the government’s decision would cause them suffer losses due to heavy duty on onion exports and less prices in domestic market

The farmers in Maharashtra have launched protests against the central government’s decision to increase export duty on onion to 40% saying that the decision would cause them suffer losses due to heavy duty on onion exports and less prices in domestic market.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has hit the streets and blocked the Shirdi-Surat Highway, demanding the rollback of the government decision. (Representative Image)

They have shut down auctions across all the market committees in Nashik, which also got support from the farmers’ outfits. The Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS) urged the farmers to extend their agitation across the state by shutting down auctions at all the market committees in the state while the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has hit the streets and blocked the Shirdi-Surat Highway, demanding the rollback of the government decision.

Meanwhile, state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde said he would meet Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Delhi on Tuesday. Munde admitted that the Centre’s decision is injustice to the farmers.

“The rise in export duty is unjustified. As agriculture minister of the state I assure all the onion growers that I am going to take up the issue with the central government and I will meet Union commerce minister and Union agriculture minister tomorrow itself,” Munde told reporters.

State food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that they want the central government to buy onion produce to control the market prices. He said he would take up the matter with chief minister Eknath Shinde.

The Union government on Saturday imposed a 40% tariff on the export of onions till December 31 to restrict overseas sales, amid the anticipation of rise in prices ahead of the festive season, when demand for most commodities goes up. The government has maintained that the move was to avoid a price rise similar to that of tomatoes in the country.

Union minister of state for health and family welfare, Bharati Pawar, on Sunday, said, “There is no ban on export per se. The government has imposed some duties to prevent price-rise similar to that of tomatoes.”

“At the same time, if there’s demand for onion within the country, prices won’t fall in the domestic market,” she said, adding that she will write to Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal to convey the farmers’ sentiments.