Imports lead to price fall, onion farmers fume
MUMBAI: Traders and farmers at Asia’s largest onion market protested against the arrival of Egypt and Iranian onion that reduced prices drastically of the kitchen staple. According to the Agriculture Produce Market Committee-Lasalgaon, onion prices have dropped from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg to Rs 40 per kg.
“People do not see whether it is Indian, Iranian or Egyptian. For them, cost is important. Besides, several hotels and restaurants are preferring foreign onion at cheap rate of Rs 30-40 per kg rather than buying Indian onion,” said Nanasaheb Patil, former chairman of the Lasalgaon APMC.
Food and Civil Supply Minister minister Chhagan Bhujbal urged the Centre to stop importing onion from foreign countries. “The BJP led central government should worry about our farmers, who should get fair prices of their produce. Earlier, it imposed a ban on export of onion, now they are importing at large scale. This has resulted in plummeting the onion prices,” Bhujbal said.
The daily arrival at Lasalgaon APMC on an average is 15,000 tonne against last year’s 20,000 to 25,000 tonne. This year, rains damaged onion in the South and in Maharashtra resulting in high prices.