Maharashtra Politics Heats Up On Onion

Mumbai: Onions have become the hottest political issue in Maharashtra. While the Opposition is up in arms against the Centre’s decision to impose 40 per cent export duty on onions, the state government has urged the Narendra Modi government to roll back its decision. State agriculture minister rushed to Delhi, where he met Union ministers Amit Shah and Piyush Goyal. After Maharashtra’s request, the Centre has decided to procure onion at Rs 2,410 per quintal from farmers but it will procure 2 lakh metric tonnes (MT) onion. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has demanded Rs 4,000 per quintal. The NCP also held rasta roko in Nashik. NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad declared that onion is going to create big trouble for the government.

The issue of Onion prices has given an opportunity to the opposition parties to corner the state government and central government. NCP leader and Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe led a Rasta Roko protest against the central government’s decision. He also burnt the government’s order copy of export duty.

Mr. Kolhe said that the increase of export duty is nothing but essentially a ban on export of onions in the country. “When the onions were sold at Rs two per kilogram in the last four years, the central government did not come to support the farmers. When the farmers were going to get the good prices, the central government brought this undeclared ban order,” he said.  

Mr Pawar, who had served as Union agriculture minister in the UPA government for a decade, said that the centre’s decision to procure onion at Rs 2,410 at per quintal is not sufficient as the farmers would not even get input cost of onions. He also said that the government should slash the export duty, as the farmers are ready to wait with their onions, which have shelf life.

Asserting that his government is standing firmly behind the onion producers, chief minister Eknath Shinde said that his government has appealed the Centre to revoke its decision of export duty. “Since it will take a few days to take a decision on the export duty, the Centre has agreed to purchase two lakh metric tonnes of onions through NAFED at Rs 2,410 per quintal. NAFED has already started purchasing the onions in Lasalgaon, Manmad, Alephata and Nashik. The Centre has assure further assistance if needed,” he said.

Mr. Shinde also said that cold storages could provide a permanent solution to onion farmers' woes. The chief minister directed the officials to work on the issue.  

The actual production of onion is 120.80 lakh MT in Maharashtra.  A senior official of the Agriculture department said that the farmers in the state have harvested the onions on 2,10,344 hectares of land during Rabi season. They are cultivating onions on 27,609 hectares of land in Kharif season and 51,321 hectares land in late Kharif season. “Maharashtra produces onions in three seasons. The onion produced during the Rabi season has a shelf life of eight to ten months. A total 120.80-lakh MT of onions are produced in all three seasons in a year. The capacity of the storage for Onions in the state is 40 lakh MT,” the senior official said.

The farmers, who have harvested onions in Rabi season, stored their crops in chawl (onion storage space), and are waiting for the good prices, have expressed their displeasure over the central government’s decision of imposing 40 percent export duty.

Sandeep Magar, one of the onion farmers in Deola taluka of Nashik district said that he had cultivated onions on 12 acres of land and stored the onions for the good prices. “I have spent Rs 5 lakh for harvesting the crop and storing it. Since the government has fixed prices of the onion, it will badly affect me as I am not going to get even the input cost,” Mr. Magar said.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole alleged that the BJP led government is not taking the issues of the farmers seriously.  “Due to the hike in export duty on onions to 40 per cent, there is widespread displeasure among the farmers as the onion prices have dropped. Fearing backlash from the farmers, the state government is running to the central government and misleading farmers by claiming that it will buy onions through NAFED, ” the Congress leader said,