Nagpur: Lasalgaon is disturbed. For those who don’t know – Lasalgaon is the onion capital of India, that is where a large share of onions grown in the state land up for being sold. Not just India, in fact Lasalgaon is the biggest onion market of Asia!
Naturally, it is Maharashtra then that has the maximum onion farmers of the country and grows the most onions.
This year, the onion farmers are agitated. They are full of unrest – onions prices are crashing.
As per the Indian Express report – Continuing dip in the prices of onion at the Lasalgaon marketyard saw agitated farmers suspending trading Monday. Although trading was resumed later, onion growers now plan to suspend trading at other important market yards of Nasik district to highlight their demand for reduction in the Minimum Export Price of onions.
So again – it is the government that instance of helping the farmers is hindering them, by making exports untenable, and causing a glut in domestic markets that is causing prices to fall.
Over the last the last two weeks about 20.000 to 22.000 tons of onions are arriving in the market everyday. Last year it was approximately 15,000 tons.
Prices have come down from Rs. 2.500 in November to Rs. 1,100/ only yesterday, 7th December.
Chairman of the Lasalgaon Market Committee, Mr. Patil has said that the drastic fall in prices was a result of the high MEP set by the government. It is helping China, Pakistan and Bangladesh farmers to push their onions in international markets since their MEP is quite low.
Patil disclosed that he had foreseen this happening last month and had written to the PM, Modi and the Union Minister of Commerce to reduce MEP of onions but he hasn’t received a response yet. (Sounds familiar?)
The onions that come into the market now – the Kharif harvest – has a very short shelf life. This is agitating the farmers even more.
Since the government has been uncaring and unresponsive to the growing crisis the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has decided to intensify their stir. Raju Shetti, M.P will be raising the question of onion during zero hours in Parliament today.
