Senior Maharashtra ministers, including Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, are set to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss a possible way out of the total ban on onion exports.
Onion prices have plummeted in wholesale markets in Maharashtra since the central government banned exports on December 8. Currently, the kitchen staple is trading at Rs 2,100-2,000/100 kgs at various wholesale markets as against Rs 3,500-3,300/100 kgs it was trading at before the ban.
The fate of over 400 containers (each container containing 22 tons of onions) slated to be shipped out was also uncertain post the ban. Farmers have since reacted sharply to the ban and the subsequent price fall.
Some senior ministers are not optimistic about any solutions. “The Centre had earlier justified the ban by citing the consumers. In this regard, we do not hope the ban will be lifted before March 31, 2024. With Loksabha elections round the corner, the Centre would not want to face the electorate with high onion prices,” said a minister.
The summer crop rabi is expected to be lower than normal, given the moisture stress in the state. Also, farmers have reported crop loss due to unseasonal rains during harvest time.
Source: indianexpress.com