After extensive negotiations with traders in Nashik’s Vinchur submarket, the Lasalgaon market committee successfully resumed onion auctions, resulting in the sale of 5,000 quintals of onions.
Balasaheb Kshirsagar, the chairman of Lasalgaon’s wholesale market in Niphad taluka, Nashik district, Maharashtra, confirmed that show cause notices were being issued to traders who had boycotted auctions over the past 10 days.
Onion traders and commission agents in Nashik have been boycotting trade to emphasize their demands, which include an immediate repeal of the 40% import duty imposed by the central government on onions. They also seek a halt to the open market sale of onions, which they argue depresses prices. Despite multiple meetings with Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, as well as Union Minister Piyush Goyal, a solution to the issue remains elusive.
Kshirsagar reported the participation of 40 traders in the onion auction at the Vinchur market, where the average price stood at Rs 2,100 per quintal – the same price onions fetched before the strike by traders in Nashik’s 15 markets. Some traders alleged that Vinchur traders were pressured into resuming auctions.
Kshirsagar noted that the process of taking legal action against boycotting traders and commission agents had commenced. “The legal process is on,” he said.
Many traders have opted to surrender their licenses to avoid such action. Their meetings with the central minister failed as Goyal did not agree to the demand of central agencies offloading procured onions at different markets. The traders have also called for the reduction of market cess currently imposed on them.
Maharashtra Minister of Marketing Abdul Sattar held discussions with central government agencies on Friday to seek a resolution to the ongoing strike. NCP MP Supriya Sule criticized the proceedings, noting the absence of onion growers and senior state government ministers at the meeting, suggesting a lack of seriousness from both the central and state governments in addressing the onion issue. “This shows both the central and state government are not serious about the onion issue,” she said.
