MUMBAI: The Centre has agreed to allow the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to purchase onions directly from farmers, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday. The decision came after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan in Delhi.
Delegation Discusses MSP and Onion Procurement
Fadnavis led a delegation of ministers to the national capital to discuss the minimum support price (MSP) issue for onions. The delegation included Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, as well as ministers Dada Bhuse, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. Farmers and opposition parties have been staging protests across Maharashtra, demanding an MSP of Rs 3,000 per quintal for onions. Currently, the state government has announced a procurement price of Rs 1,580 per quintal, which farmers and opposition leaders consider insufficient.
Increase in Procurement Target and Other Interventions
Fadnavis stated that the state government has requested the Centre to increase the procurement target for NAFED and NCCF from two lakh tonnes to ten lakh tonnes. “We are expecting a positive decision on this. We have suggested other interventions too, which the Centre is considering,” he said. The chief minister also highlighted the issue of large-scale export of onion seeds, which has adversely affected the export market for onions. “Hence, we have suggested a surcharge on the export of onion seeds,” he added. The purchase price for onions has already been raised to Rs 15.80 per kg.
Grading Concerns and Scientific Solutions
Regarding the grading of onions, Fadnavis noted that farmers have complained about onions often being graded as substandard and subsequently rejected. He said that Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has assured that scientific equipment will be used for grading to ensure fair assessment. The move aims to address farmer grievances and streamline the procurement process.
