As the Indian government extends its ban on onion exports to ensure ample domestic supply and stable prices in the poll season, Maharashtra’s onion producers are not holding back. With elections looming, onion farmers in Maharashtra have issued a potent warning – over one crore voters from onion cultivators’ families could turn the tables in at least 15 constituencies in Maharashtra.
“Onion farmers in Maharashtra have suffered greatly due to the government’s export ban policy. While the government is concerned about consumer backlash if onion prices rise due to a shortage during the elections, what about the onion farmers?” asked Bharat Dighole, President of the Maharashtra State Onion Producer Farmer Organisation. He added that onion farmers spread across the State would express their dissatisfaction with the policymakers during the elections.
Onion farmers in Nashik district, the hub of onion production in the State and home to Asia’s largest onion market in Lasalgaon, have launched a rath yatra to bring attention to their plight. Onion cultivation in Maharashtra is widespread, spanning Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Solapur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts, and onion farmers are disappointed with the elected members from the State for not raising the issue of the export ban in Parliament and failing to voice farmers’ concerns.
Hardships due to export ban
The onion growers are sounding the alarm, emphasising the immense hardships faced by farmers due to the export ban, which has pushed many to the brink of bankruptcy. India is the world’s second-largest onion-growing country, with Maharashtra accounting for 43 per cent of India’s onion production, followed by Madhya Pradesh (15.16 per cent).
Last week, the government of India decided to extend indefinitely the ban on onion exports, initially imposed last year. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced the extension, stating that the export prohibition, set to expire on March 31, will remain in place until further notice. In December, the government imposed a ban on onion exports when the modal retail prices of onions doubled from Rs 30/kg in September to Rs 60/kg. The export of onions to other countries is permitted on a case-by-case basis.
“We have suffered heavy losses, and today many farmers are not even able to recover the production costs. With water scarcity in many regions, farmers sustained their crops by purchasing water tankers, and now the government has dealt us another blow,” says onion farmer Shailesh Patil from Nashik.
Worried politicos
Politicians, particularly those from the ruling BJP, contesting Lok Sabha polls in onion-growing regions are apprehensive about the discontent of onion farmers. Bharati Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Tribal Affairs, who represents the Dindori constituency in Nashik, is among the politicians who would be focusing the campaign on the PM Kisan Nidhi and highlighting how the government has permitted intermittent exports to Bangladesh and other countries to support farmers.