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Ajit Pawar faces angry onion, tomato growers in Nashik
Angry farmers attempted to throw tomatoes and onions on the road where Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s car and convoy were passing on Saturday during Pawar’s tour of Nashik district
Pune
Angry farmers attempted to throw tomatoes and onions on the road where Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s car and convoy were passing on Saturday during Pawar’s tour of Nashik district. On Saturday morning, farmers waved black flags at the minister to bring his attention to declining produce prices.
The incident occurred while Ajit Pawar was travelling from Ojhar Airport to Dindori, and his fleet of vehicles was attempted to be blocked by displeased farmers who chanted anti-state government slogans and pelted onions and tomatoes towards the convoy.
Farmers protested while demanding the removal of a 40% export duty on onions and measures to provide financial relief to tomato growers.
A strong posse of police from nearby Kalwan managed to reach the spot and whisked off many of the protestors without any untoward incidents.
“We condemn the government’s policies that marginalise farmers. We want the export duty on onions removed and a reasonable minimum support price for tomatoes,” one of the protesters stated.
Later in the day while addressing party workers at Kalwan, Ajit Pawar said, all efforts will be taken to provide respite to farmers.
“I urge tomato growers not to throw their produce on streets. The government is with you and is trying to find ways so farmers can get a respite. For onion farmers, the state government is in touch with the Centre and exploring ways to assist them,” Pawar said.
The deputy CM further said that the rates of tomatoes have fallen because of a glut in production as farmers cultivated the produce on large land after initially getting good rates. For the onion farmers too, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) was asked to purchase it at ₹2,450 per quintal, he said.
Earlier in July-August, tomato prices had touched ₹200 per kilo, however, a bumper crop in the subsequent days led to a drastic fall in prices with rates in the range of ₹10-15/kg depending on the markets, severely affecting the producers.
Similarly, onion farmers in Nashik went on strike for 13 days, halting wholesale trade to demand that the export duty on the key vegetable be removed.
The strike was called off on October 3 after assurances by the government but the wholesale traders have given a month’s ultimatum to the authorities to act, failing which they would strike afresh.
