Onions traders have decided to resume onion auction in Nashik district from Thursday after former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday intervened and held talks with them.
As reported by Free Press Journal, the auction was suspended from Monday as traders protested against the Centre’s notification imposing a stock limit. As the auction was suspended by the traders, the onion farmers have hit hard as they are quite keen to dispose of onion stored in the storage before it rots.
Pawar blamed the Centre for the recent decisions -- export ban, income tax raids on traders and imposition of stock limit saying that they have adversely impacted the onion growers and auction. This is despite the onion having been excluded from the list of essential commodities, he said.
Pawar said the onion growers should not expect any relief from the state government as the decisions are taken by the Centre.
“We will talk to the Centre and urge for clarity in its decisions involving onion. The government needs to reconsider notification imposing a stock limit of 25 metric tonnes for wholesale and 2 metric tonnes. These limits are unnecessary,’’ said Pawar in his interaction with the onion growers, traders and market committee members.
The former Union Minister told them a delegation will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention.
Pawar also hit out against the Centre for ban on export and later relaxation in import norms. “The Centre’s decision allowing import of onion is irrational,’’ Pawar noted.
