The Onion Traders Association of Nashikon Wednesday announced the withdrawal of their agitation to boycott the auctions. Following this, the onion auctions at agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC) yards in Maharashtra’s Nashik district will resume on Thursday.

The traders announced this decision after meeting with the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pawar, who is also a local MP. The Centre’s decision to impose a 40 per cent duty on the export of the kitchen staple resulted in traders stopping onion auctions at APMCs in Nashik.

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“Traders in Nashik have decided to start onion auctions so that farmers don’t suffer losses. Various elected representatives have appealed to the union government to withdraw the export duty on onions. I had discussions with Union cooperative minister Amit Shah on this issue,” Pawar told reporters in Nashik.

Centre’s new order

She said the government will help traders whose onion stocks are stuck on borders and JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) after the government announced to impose export duty. “We have asked traders to submit the details to the district collector and accordingly the government will take further steps so that traders don’t suffer losses,” said Pawar.

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Meanwhile, the Centre has asked NAFED to put up display boards at the procurement centres. The farmers have the option to either sell their crop to NAFED or bring it to the APMC. Since NAFED has also started procurement now, there will be competition in the market and farmers will benefit from it, added Pawar