Unhappy with the Centre's decision to impose an export duty of 40% on onions, farmers at Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) of Lasalgaon in Nashik continued to protest on the third day and onions auctions remain halted.
The protesting farmers said the central government's decision to impose a 40% duty on the export of onions will adversely affect the onion growers and their exports. Chairman Agriculture Produce Market Committee, Kisan Dhange said that they were demanding the purchase of onions at the rate of Rs2,410 quintal.
“Until the government does not purchase the produce on this rate, the onion market will not be opened,” said Dhange. A farmer speaking ANI claimed, “Earlier in a meeting we were assured that onions would be purchased at the rate of Rs 2,410 per quintal but today when the market opened, a rate of Rs 1,500-1,700 per quintal was being offered. So we are protesting against it and halted traffic on the Delhi-Bengaluru highway. The Government should meet our demands,” added the farmer. Earlier on August 11, the Central government started releasing the staple vegetable from its buffer stock.
