Govt Intervenes in Onion Row; Calls for Direct Market Purchase from Farmers

Time of India

a day ago

Nagpur: Amid rising discontent among onion growers over declining prices and irregular procurement practices, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule intervened to address the crisis.
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The senior BJP leader held urgent discussions with Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal after former MLA and Prahar Janshakti Party leader Bacchu Kadu initiated a hunger strike in Amravati, demanding a Rs24 base price and the elimination of middlemen control.
Following the protest, Bawankule convened a high-level meeting at Vidhan Bhavan this week, attended by ministers Jaykumar Rawal (Marketing), Manikrao Kokate (Agriculture), and senior officials from various departments.
The discussions focused on overhauling the procurement system to ensure farmers receive fair compensation for their produce.
"The primary objective is to prevent farmers from distress-selling. We are working on a mechanism in consultation with the Centre to ensure transparent, efficient procurement directly from the producers," Bawankule stated, emphasizing that onion farmers must not depend on commission agents.
Marketing minister Rawal argued that the current system had been dominated by a few vested interests operating intermediary procurement centres. "Procurement and exports are unrelated. The system must be corrected. Farmers must get the benefit, not middlemen," he asserted, proposing the closure of all non-transparent procurement centres.
Agriculture minister Kokate supported this view, stating, "All govt procurement should be routed through APMCs.
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It's the only way to guarantee traceability, fair pricing, and systematic procurement."
Bacchu Kadu, who ended his fast following the state's assurance, reiterated that central agencies like the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) and NAFED should buy onions directly from markets or farmers, not from agents. "A base price of Rs24 per kg should be fixed immediately. Onion procurement from outside the APMC system must stop," he demanded.
In the last procurement cycle, delays and poor storage conditions caused significant spoilage, with thousands of tonnes of onions rotting in godowns. Farmer groups have warned of a repeat if corrective steps are not implemented immediately.