State onion exporters demand more quota from Centre

According to a spokesperson of the APECC, the chamber had been perusing the matter with the Union government since early March as the earlier quota of one lakh tonne had exhausted. He said that the fresh quota of 50,000 was too meagre to make any difference in the current glut situation.

He further stated that according to the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation the yield is expected to reach 47.5 lakh tonne as against the domestic consumption of 39 lakh tonne, leaving a surplus of 8.5 lakh tonne. Moreover, the summer harvest has begun and the prices in the wholesale markets are around Rs 250 per quintal.

He has pointed out that Indian exporters had built up the export market of about five lakh tonne annually over the past six decades particularly in the far East, Malaysia, Singapore, Gulf countries, Sri Lanka and Mauritius, but the ad hoc decisions of the central government had hampered exports.

Incidentally, the ministry of commerce had declared on April 13 that 50,000 tonne of onions would be permitted for exports, but the notification came in the last week of April. Some exporters complained that they were losing their clients overseas because of the central government’s decision to ban exports and then regulate the volume of exports. For instance, an exporter from Vashi had demanded a quota of 5,000 tonne but was given an NOC only for 75 tonne.

The central government’s move to include the Bangalore Rose variety of onions from Karnataka and the Krishnapuram variety of onions from Andhra Pradesh in the OGL has annoyed exporters from Maharashtra. One exporter stated, "It is a political decision of the BJP led coalition government at the centre as it did not bother to provide any relief to onion growers from Maharashtra, which is the largest onion cultivating state in the country."

FARMERS’ PROTEST: A group of farmers protesting against the proposed alignment of the Zadi-Erandgaon canal stalled the inauguration of a water project by deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal in Kalwan tehsil on Saturday.

Bhujbal, after inaugurating the release of water from the right bank canal of the Chankapur dam into the Rameshwar (Kishorsagar) minor irrigation project, was to inaugurate the Zadi-Erandgaon scheme.

Farmers led by the NCP MLA from Chandwad constituency, Shirish Kotwal, demanded the canal pass through Makarandwani, Kapshi and Bhilwad villages.

They shouted slogans and scuttled the inauguration of the scheme on grounds that it would commit injustice on farmers of Makarandwadi and other villages. The programme was cancelled after the protest.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Rameshwar scheme, Bhujbal chose to harp on the "misdeeds" of the previous Shiv Sena-BJP government. He reiterated that the previous government had pushed the state towards bankruptcy and that his government was helpless in launching developmental projects.

The Rameshwar scheme is to irrigate 35,000 acres of land benefitting farmers from 68 villages. The canal is to be extended over 37 km to Zadi-Erandgaon.