The stand-off between onion traders in Maharashtra’s Nashik district and the State government continued into its fifth day on Monday, causing significant disruptions in the auction of the key kitchen commodity in almost all the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs).
The traders in the wholesale markets at Lasalgaon and Pimpalgaon in the district, among the largest in Asia, are adamant that the government rollback the export duty of 40% imposed on the bulbs, which will be effective until December 31. However, starting Monday, traders have halted the dispatching of previously purchased stock too, which is likely to impact the retail price not just in the Western State, but across the country.
“We have banned the auction since September 20 protesting the export duty hike, which will not only hinder the export of bulbs but also impact onions in transit, causing significant losses to farmers and traders,” Pravin Kadam of Nashik District Onion Traders Association (NDOTA) said.
