Maharashtra: Farmer garlands minister with onions to protest price drop
In a bizarre protest against falling onion prices, a Maharashtra farmer garlanded state Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane with onions. The incident took place at a religious function in Chirai village when Rane was addressing the crowd. The protesting farmer, who is an onion producer, was taken into custody by police as he tried to speak on the mic.
Onion prices drop, farmers' distress intensifies
The protest highlights the increasing unrest among farmers due to a steep fall in onion prices. In the last 10 days, onion prices have fallen by ₹2,000/quintal. Farmers claim that the 20% export duty on onions has not helped in stabilizing prices, thus aggravating their economic misery. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has requested the central government to scrap this export duty to ease farmers' financial burden.
Deputy CM calls for removal of export duty
In a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar emphasized the plight of onion farmers in Nashik, a key onion-producing district. He said that "the arrival of fresh crops has led to a surplus in agricultural markets," compelling farmers to sell their produce at lower rates. The average rate now stands at about ₹2,400 per quintal.
Unseasonal rains, climate change add to farmers' woes
Pawar also highlighted the additional difficulties of unseasonal rains and climate change, which have further hurt onion growers and caused huge losses. While attending the Winter Session of the state legislature in Nagpur, he stressed the need for immediate action to tackle these economic challenges. The export duty on onions was first imposed earlier this year to stabilize domestic prices but has been criticized for its ineffectiveness.
