Goyal, Pawar meet with onion traders fail to break deadlock

In the meeting, both Pawar and Goyal appealed to farmers and traders to start the auction so that the consumers are not affected. Goyal has now decided to hold a meeting on September 29 when he will take a final call on the matter

Mumbai/ Pune The stalemate over protests by onion growers and traders continued on Tuesday as a marathon meeting with them held by union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar failed to yield any result. Primarily on the agenda was to hear out the protesters’ demands of scrapping the 40 percent duty on onion exports, instituted by the Centre in August.

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In the meeting, both Pawar and Goyal appealed to farmers and traders to start the auction so that the consumers are not affected. Goyal has now decided to hold a meeting on September 29 when he will take a final call on the matter. On the other hand, the Centre has hardened its stand announcing that government agencies will buy the produce directly from farmers if traders refused to call off the strike which started on September 20.

Most wholesale markets remained shut in Nashik on Tuesday, despite the government’s efforts to convince traders to resume auction of onion. “In order to ensure the interests of farmers and consumers, decision on National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF), semi-government bodies, purchasing onion directly from farmers will be taken on September 29,” said Goyal after the meeting.

Earlier, after meeting them separately in the morning, Pawar threw light on the traders’ concerns – their primary complaint is the produce purchased by NAFED is sold at lower rates, causing onion prices to fall. They want this practice stopped. “Traders are also demanding that the purchase fee imposed in the market committees be cancelled and the market fee be reduced from one percent to half a percent. They have stopped buying onion since September 20,” said Pawar, adding that the state will protect the interests of producers and merchants.

On Tuesday, as the strike entered the seventh day, many traders of wholesale markets in Nashik and adjoining areas were resolute about staying off the market. The farmers have demanded that they also be compensated for the damaged produce, as a consequence of the impasse.

Others present in the meeting were union minister of state for health Bharati Pawar, deputy speaker of assembly Narhari Jhirwal, food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde, PWD (undertakings) minister Dada Bhuse, marketing minister Abdul Sattar, MLAs Hiraman Khoskar, Rahul Aher, Nitin Pawar, Dilip Bankar, Manik Kokate, apart from farmers and traders.