Shruti Suman
Amidst ongoing protests by farmers and traders against the Central government’s decision to impose a 40 percent export duty on onions, Maharashtra’s Minister Dada Bhuse has shocked many by stating that it wouldn’t matter if people didn’t consume onions, a key kitchen staple, for two to four months. He expressed that this perspective should have been coordinated more effectively before imposing the export duty.
The government introduced this 40 percent export duty on onions to control price increases and enhance the availability of onions within the domestic market. This duty, effective until December 31, 2023, was implemented through a notification from the Finance Ministry.
Bhuse remarked, “If you own a vehicle worth ₹10 lakh, you can manage to buy onions at a slightly higher rate, say ₹10 or ₹20 more than the regular retail price. For those who can’t afford to purchase onions, not consuming them for a few months wouldn’t make much of a difference.”
He also emphasized that the decision to impose the export duty should have been made with better coordination. Bhuse pointed out the fluctuating rates of onions, sometimes as low as ₹200 per quintal and other times as high as ₹2,000 per quintal. He suggested that discussions could lead to finding a mutually agreeable solution.
In a separate development, traders took the decision to indefinitely suspend onion auctions in all Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Nashik, including the prominent Lasalgaon market, which is the largest wholesale onion market in India. The Nashik District Onion Traders Association initiated this move, urging participants to abstain from onion auctions until the Central government retracts its export duty decision. This action comes in response to widespread protests by farmers and traders in the district, who are demanding the withdrawal of the export duty.
