The Centre has allowed the export of 99,150 MT of onion to six neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, UAE, Bhutan, Bahrain, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka. However, farmers are claiming that this announcement is misleading, as no official notification has been issued yet.
The central government's announcement of the onion export ban in early December caused a surge in domestic onion supply, leading to a drastic drop in onion prices from ₹4,000 to ₹1,000 per quintal. Despite farmers expecting a lift on the export ban, the absence of an official notification has deepened their dissatisfaction.
Bharat Dighole, president of the Maharashtra State Onion Farmers' Association, expressed disappointment, accusing the government of consistently deceiving onion farmers. He highlighted the stagnation in onion prices over the past two decades, despite inflation significantly impacting farmers' livelihoods.
In response to the government's actions, representatives from various farmers' organisations convened a meeting at the Lasalgaon Bazaar Committee, where loud slogans were raised against the central government. The meeting, held under the guidance of Mumbai Agricultural Produce Market Committee director Jaydutt Holkar, underscored the collective discontent among farmers and warned of impending agitation against the export ban decision.
Officials from the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Ryat Kranti Shetkari Sanghatana, Chhawa Kranti Sanghatana, and Shiv Sena (UBT) were among those signalling a unified stance against the central government's policies affecting onion farmers.
"The government was supposed to lift the export ban on March 31, but unfortunately, on March 22, the government imposed a ban on exports for an undefined period. Now, the government has only made an announcement of 99,150 MT of exports to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bahrain, and other countries under the quota system. This is just an attempt by the government to pacify farmers in the onion belt and nothing more. This is misleading as no notification has been issued by the central government in this regard," Dighole said.
