MUMBAI: Farmers forced Asia’s biggest onion market at Lasalgaon to shut down its auctions on Monday in protest against the crashing rates of onion. The onions are sold at Rs 400 to Rs 500 per quintal against the previous year's rate of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per quintal. Farmers were protesting because they are unable to recover even their input cost.
All India Kisan Sabha’s secretary Dr Ajit Nawale said the government should declare a compensation of Rs 600 per quintal for the farmers. “
The Central government should change the import and export policy that will help export onions to other states. There is enough production of onions in India, yet our government has been allowing the traders to bring them from Bangladesh,” Nawale said.
“Bangladesh has imposed heavy taxes on its import. In the Philippines and Thailand, the prices of onions are soaring. Our government can have talks with these countries and should export as many onions as possible, so that our farmers will get fair prices, at least in the international market,” he added.
He pointed out that Pakistan had also stopped importing Indian onions due to a strained relationship with India.