Nashik: The Central Government has decided to discontinue the procurement of URS (relaxed-specification) category onions from July 30, allowing only A-grade onions to be purchased at the revised Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹2,335 per quintal. However, procurement carried out during the preceding two weeks has come under scrutiny, with allegations that substandard onions were purchased at A-grade rates under the URS category.
Discussions among onion growers suggest that inferior-quality onions were procured through the alleged collusion of certain agencies, out-of-state traders, and officials. Onion exporter Pravin Kadam has alleged that a significant portion of the procurement by NAFED and NCCF existed only on paper, raising serious concerns over the onion procurement process being conducted under the Central Government's Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF).
The Centre had assigned NAFED and NCCF the task of procuring two lakh tonnes of onions in Maharashtra from May 25. Initially, both agencies procured good-quality onions along with URS-grade onions, which include smaller-sized and slightly blemished produce. However, from July 30, procurement of URS onions was abruptly stopped, with purchases restricted exclusively to A-grade onions.
Farmers Question Timing of URS Procurement Ban
Farmers are questioning why the decision to stop URS procurement was taken only after large quantities had reportedly already been purchased. They are demanding that the government make public the complete procurement details of the past 15 days, including the quantity purchased, names of farmers, grade-wise pricing, and storage locations.
They argue that instead of ensuring market access and MSP for farmers' produce, the government changed procurement norms midway, while allegedly allowing substandard onions from other states into the procurement system.
"Instead of providing farmers with a fair market and assured prices, the government has changed the procurement criteria and halted URS purchases, while there are attempts to procure inferior onions from other states under the government scheme. This is a serious contradiction."
– Bharat Dighole, President, Maharashtra State Onion Growers' Association
Call for Independent Inquiry
"An independent inquiry should be conducted into the procurement carried out by NAFED and NCCF to determine how much onion was actually purchased from farmers and how much was sourced from other states."
– Pravin Kadam, Onion Exporter, Lasalgaon
