Onion farmers from Maharashtra and unions hit out against Centre’s onion export ban

Farmers & Unions stage protests in heart of Onion producing Lasalgaon in Nashik district      

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Pune: Angry onion farmers in the Onion producing heartland of Maharashtra’s Nashik district slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government’s decision to ban the export of onion. The price of the staple diet of millions in India has often brought tears to many governments in the past.

Strong condemnations were issued by major farmer outfits in the State like Raju Shetti’s Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and the Sadabhau Khot-led Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, all of whom alleged political motives behind the Centre’s move.

In the country’s onion-producing hub of Nashik, protests erupted in Lasalgaon – which houses Asia’s largest onion market – as well as in Manmad with irate farmers raising slogans against the Central government while demanding an immediate rollback of the export ban. 

Dr. Ajit Nawale, State General Secretary of the AIKS, said that the Centre, by banning onion exports under the Foreign Trade Act of 1992, has betrayed the onion farmers in Maharashtra and the country. 

“The Modi government’s decision has been taken purely in light of the upcoming Bihar elections and in a bid to appease the public by reducing onion prices. So, in effect, Maharashtra’s farmers have been sacrificed at the altar of realpolitik to please Bihar’s electorate,” claimed Dr. Nawale. 

The steady increase in the wholesale onion prices (with the average trading price per kilo of onion in Lasalgaon hovering around the Rs. 35 mark) is believed to have been one of the chief reasons behind the Centre’s sudden ban on exporting onions.  

Commenting on the ban, Dr. Nawale said: “The Centre had recently announced the exclusion of five types of essential commodities, including onions. Pro-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) farmer unions as well as other outfits had hailed the Modi government’s announcement and exulted in it. This cruel U-turn has revealed the government’s true colours.” 

Observing that the country had had a record production of onions during the current season, Dr. Nawale said that despite onion prices increasing slightly in September owing to supply chain problems, the increase, however, was only temporary.  

“Besides, onions produced in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will also be available in the market. In such a scenario, it is unlikely that any serious problem of onion scarcity will arise in the near future,” he said, stating that the AIKS would be hitting the streets and oppose the export ban with all its strength. 

Shetti said that the government’s sudden decision to ban export of onions would have a major impact on farmers already distressed economically by the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Since the past four months, farmers had been selling onions at throwaway prices at Rs. 4-5 per kilo. Now, that farmers have started to make some money owing to surplus production of onions comes this astounding betrayal on part of the Centre. Just a few days ago, this same Centre was talking of justice for onion growers,” Mr. Shetti said, adding that whenever any opportunity has arisen for farmers to make a profit, the Centre came up with some anti-farmer measure. 

Khot said that owing to the Centre’s sudden volte face, thousands of tonnes on onions were languishing in more than 300 container trucks that had been halted on the Indo-Bangladesh border, and a further 400 containers primed for loading at the J N Port in Mumbai. 

“On the one hand, the Central government tries to put a farmer-friendly face with its ‘Kisan Rail’ and Ek Desh Ek Bazaar (One Nation One Market) schemes while putting such autocratic export bans on the other. Are these schemes mere lip-service?” questioned Khot, whose outfit is an ally of the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Maharashtra.  

Arguing that farmers had suffered huge financial losses in the six months of the Covid-19 induced lockdown, he said that he would personally join protesting farmers in Nashik.  

“We may even consider severing ties with the BJP if the Centre did not roll back the export ban,” Khot warned, adding that such sudden measures taken without any proper notification being issued, had sown distrust among farmers regarding the Centre’s policies.  

Terming the Modi government’s decision as a “big mistake”, Maharashtra  Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse said that the ban on exports of onions needed to be immediately revoked. 

“Maharashtra contributes to more than 70% of India’s onion exports…this decision is a grave injustice for the State’s farmers. I believe Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will be speaking with the Prime Minister over this matter,” said Bhuse.