NASHIK, DECEMBER 16: The Shetkari Sanghatana leader, Sharad Joshi, has given an ultimatum to the Union Government to totally lift the ban on onion exports within a fortnight, failing which he has threatened to cut supply of the commodity to large cities.Speaking at a meeting of onion farmers in the premises of the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee last evening, Joshi said that the partial lifting of the export ban on onions would serve no purpose in view of the bumper harvest this season. He said that if the Government failed to act within a fortnight, the Sanghatana would organise farmers on the issue in the onion growing pockets of Nashik, Pune and Ahmednagar districts and stop transportation of onions to cities like Mumbai.Joshi further said that despite perpetual injustice the farmers were unorganised. He said that if the farmers united on the issue of onions, they could compel consumers to buy the commodity for Rs 60 to Rs 100 per kilo.He pointed out that the talk about liberalisation and free market economy was an eyewash as the farmers were at the mercy of the Government, which had imposed the ban on onion exports a year ago. He demanded that the ban be totally lifted to allow free exports. Incidentally, the ban was partially lifted recently to allow exports upto one lakh tonnes.Joshi added that those in power had always pampered the urban populace, at the cost of the farmer, who remained impoverished. He appealed for the unity of farmers to teach a lesson to the Government and the urban people.Joshi visited Lasalgaon in wake of the onion glut and the demands from farmers and traders to lift the export ban totally.Incidentally, Joshi's arrival did not evoke any significant response from onion growers and his meeting was attended by a few people. The onion markets are heading for a glut with the bumper harvest of the kharif onion crop. According to official estimates, the onion production in the country this year is likely to touch an all time high of about 50 lakh tonnes, as against the normal production of about 42 lakh tonnes. The Government had banned onion exports last year, when failure of the kharif crop and manipulation by traders had led to skyrocketing of prices to an all time high of Rs 40 per kilo in the wholesale markets.
