Farmers in Maharashtra have welcomed the Centre’s decision to relax onion procurement rules. Meanwhile, they said the move does not solve the main problem and demanded a minimum purchase price of Rs 3,000 per quintal.They say the prices offered by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Consumers Cooperative Federation of India (NCCF), which are around Rs 1,580 per quintal, are too low and do not cover the costs of cultivation.The Center has relaxed the quality and size rules for purchasing onions. The acceptable size range has been increased from 45-65 mm to 35-70 mm. Rules regarding blemishes, discolourations, skin blemishes and minor sun damage have also been relaxed.However, farmer leaders said the main issue remains low prices, not eligibility to buy.“The norms have been relaxed, but farmers are still incurring losses. The real question is when onion prices will go up,” said Jaydeep Bhadhan, president, Maharashtra Onion Growers Association.He said earlier that farmers who bring 30 quintals of onions for purchase will often accept only about 25 quintals, while the rest is sold at lower prices in the market.
He added, “The benefit of relaxing standards will depend on the effectiveness of their implementation on the ground.”Bhadhan also reiterated the demand for Rs 3,000 per quintal as minimum support price, saying the current rate of around Rs 1,580 per quintal is not enough to cover the costs.The average cost of onion production is around Rs 1,800 per quintal, forcing farmers to sell at a loss, association president Bharat Dhaigul said.“When farmers are forced to sell onions below the cost of production, they are exposed to financial distress. The prices announced by central procurement agencies are like rubbing salt on farmers’ wounds,” De Gaulle claimed.The association also called for more transparency in procurement. It wants NAFED and NCCF to publish daily lists of the names of farmers from whom onions are purchased.It also wants procurement to be done through Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) to minimize problems and ensure fair prices.The farmers’ body has demanded a subsidy of Rs 1,500 per quintal for those who sold onions at low prices during the last four to five months, saying many farmers have suffered huge losses due to weak market prices.The Maharashtra government has waived APMC duty on onion procurement by NAFED and NCCF to reduce costs and speed up the procurement process. But farmers say the benefit will mostly help agencies unless procurement prices are increased.
