Onion auctions to resume at APMCs in Nashik from Aug 24: Traders' representative

Onion auctions at all APMCs in Maharashtras Nashik district closed for three days now will resume from Thursday as traders protesting the imposition of 40 per cent export duty on the key kitchen staple have decided to withdraw the agitation a traders representative here said on WednesdayThe decision was taken in a meeting of the representatives of tradersexporters and farmers with Union minister Dr Bharati Pawar here on WednesdayAfter the meeting Pawar also said a representative of the traders in Nashik informed in the meeting that they are withdrawing the decision of closure of onion auctions at the Agriculture Produce Market Committees APMCs and the operations there will start tomorrowAbout the 40 per cent export duty we will request the Union government to rethink and take a positive decision on the issue she saidPawar the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare is the member of Parliament from Dindori in NashikOnion auctions at most of the APMCs in Nashik including the Lasalgaon APMC which is known as Asias biggest wholesale onion market have been closed as traders are against the hike in the export duty on the kitchen stapleConsumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday alleged that some political opponents are creating a wrong picture about the export duty slapped on onion and urged farmers not to worry as the Centre has restarted procurement at Rs 2410 per quintal for its buffer stockGoyal said the decision to impose 40 per cent export duty on onion has been taken to protect the consumers interest but at the same time the Centre has also decided to purchase additional 2 lakh tonnes of onion from farmers to avoid any panic sellingAfter the meeting here on Wednesday Nashik District Onion Traders Association president Khandu Deore said Our reasonable demand is that the Union government should think about traders while imposing any duty on onions Traders do not create obstacles for farmers Dr Pawar has given an assurance of giving a thought to the demand of tradersAs a result we are withdrawing our agitation and starting onion auctions at APMCs in Nashik district from tomorrow he saidPawar said In a meeting at the district collectorate today Deore informed that the traders are withdrawing the decision of closure of onion auctions at the APMCs and the operations there will start tomorrowThe decision has been taken considering the welfare of farmers she saidAlong with the APMCs the purchase of onions by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India NAFED will continue Farmers will have to take a decision to sell onions as per their wish and where they get a good price the minister saidFarmers welfare is the ultimate goal of the Union and state governments Pawar saidTraders have also performed well and their contribution to the export of onions is good she notedUnion minister Piyush Goyal has given instructions to the collector to give a detailed information about the containers of traders stranded at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Raigad and other places she saidThe government will take a decision about it and provide help for sure About the 40 per cent export duty we will request the Union government to rethink and take a positive decision on the issue Pawar saidShe also appealed to Deore to start the auction of onions at places where it is possible on Wednesday itselfDistrict Collector Jalaj Sharma Chandwad MLA Rahul Aher and NAFED officials attended the meetingAt almost all APMCs in the district including Lasalgaon onion auctions remained closed on Wednesday but auctions were held at the Vinchur subcommittee of Lasalgaon APMCThe agitation against the governments decision of 40 per cent export duty on onions continued in the district on Wednesday Activists of the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar faction staged a rasta roko agitation near Shinde toll plaza on NashikPune national highwayThe agitators shouted slogans against the Union government and threw onions on the roadThey demanded roll back of the hike in export duty on onions as well as Rs 4000 Minimum Support Price MSP for the key kitchen staple The agitators also demanded that the import of tomatoes be stopped farmers electricity bills be waived and drought be declared in Nashik districtThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever