Nashik traders go back on onion purchase suspension

Onion traders in Nashik, who had earlier taken a stand not to buy the vegetable at Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) all over the district on Monday and Tuesday, have said that they will not go ahead with the decision. The move followed mediation by the Maharashtra State Marketing Federation.

At a meeting held in Nashik on Monday, director of the federation Sheshrao Sangle assured the traders that their grievances will be taken to the state and central
governments.

Speaking to DNA, vice-president of the traders’ association Sohanlal Bhandari said, “We had announced suspension of the trade because of government directives in some northern states, asking local traders not to sell onions at more than Rs30 per kg. As a result, they stopped buying from us. We had no choice but to stop buying onions at APMCs, as it would be unaffordable. Also, the government’s approach towards traders amounted to harassment, as even surveys proved that there is no hoarding on our part.”

He added that Sangle assured traders that their grievances would be conveyed to governments in northern states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam, where the local traders are pressured by directives and other authorities. The meeting was attended by MLA Shrish
Kotwal.

The traders’ decision will benefit farmers as well. The onion available in markets at present is of the Pol, or winter, variety which is the wet kind. It is perishable and if stocks lie with farmers for long, they would have to suffer huge losses.

In the meeting, traders raised their voice against pressure tactics in the form of income tax department surveys, checks and a ban on exports. These amounted to harassment of traders and, indirectly, farmers, they stated.

The traders had earlier announced that they would not buy onions from APMCs for two days. This was their way of protesting against indirect ways of controlling onion prices by some state governments and also against I-T surveys on some traders to check hoarding.

On Monday, no onion trade took place at APMC markets and sub-markets in Nashik district. Buying will resume on Tuesday, it was told.