During a meeting with a central team at the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), onion farmers voiced their concerns over the current export regulations. They requested the withdrawal of the minimum export price (MEP) set at US$550 per ton, along with the additional 40% duty imposed on exports. Furthermore, they advocated for central agencies such as the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) to directly procure onions from the APMCs via auction, bypassing the Farmer Producers' Organisations (FPOs).
The central team, comprising officials from various departments under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, engaged with stakeholders to understand the auction and procurement processes at the APMCs. The stakeholders emphasized the adverse financial impact of frequent changes in onion export policy on farmers and suggested direct procurement by central agencies to stabilize prices for both producers and consumers. The cost of onion production was highlighted to be Rs 2,000 per 100 kg, indicating that prices below this threshold result in substantial losses for farmers. Onion grower Nivrutti Nyaharkar, in particular, stressed the need for the removal of the MEP and the 40% export duty to alleviate restrictions on onion exports.
[ Rs 100 = €1.10 ]
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com