In a big relief to the onion growers in Maharashtra who were battling with its plunging prices for the last couple of months, principal minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 300 per quintal for them. “The red onion of the Kharif season has arrived on a large scale, there’s an increase in onion production in other countries in the country. Owing to this the force has exceeded the demand, leading to a fall in the prices,” Shinde informed the Maharashtra Assembly.
The state is witnessing a massive blowback as numerous growers are angry over the absurd price of Rs 2/ quintal in the noncommercial requests, far below their product costs. growers are demanding Rs 600/quintal compensation. In numerous places the growers have thrown the onions on the roadways where they got crushed by speeding vehicles, let loose cattle in numerous onion granges and made a campfire of the teary vegetable. Due to the increase in onion products in other countries, the demand has declined in relation to the force. Due to this, the price of onion has fallen.
Since onion is a perishable crop, a minimum support price can not be applied to it. CM Shinde added that onion was an important cash crop in Maharashtra and the price was rather a sensitive part of the relationship between onion-producing growers. In view of Shinde’s decision, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that as the product cost of onions rose, growers demanded a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per quintal. ” We anticipated a subsidy of Rs 500, but by giving Rs 300 as a subsidy, the government has done injustice to growers,” he said. Where was the onion bought? Farmers question on ‘NAFED’s red onion purchase action’.
This decision will give great relief to the growers. In 2016, we gave Rs 100 subvention to onion growers, in 2017 it was Rs 200. It has now been reduced to Rs 300 directly. Now purchase of onion from Nafed has also started. There’s a rate of ten and a half rupees. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde claimed that due to all this, the onion producing growers will get a big relief.