Following a 13-day strike, onion auctions were resumed at all 15 of Nashik's agricultural produce market committees (APMC) on Tuesday. Farmers criticised the first day's low prices for their produce, though.
On Tuesday morning, over 545 vehicles entered Lasalgaon APMC, the largest wholesale onion market in Asia, according to market sources. In the first session, they reported the cost of onions was 800 per quintal at the lowest price ₹2,541 per quintal at the highest price, and ₹2,051 per quintal on average.
Other APMC markets in the Nashik district had average prices per quintal ranging from 1,800 to 2,000 rupees.
President of Lasalgaon APMC Traders’ Association, Balasaheb Darade, said, “The market resumed after 13 days and the rates were stable as reported on September 19 when the last auction was carried out. A large amount of onion stock has arrived in the markets, auction rates varied.”
On 20 September, onion traders went on an indefinite strike and halted auctions in protest at the Center's recent decision to raise the export duty on kitchen staples by 40%.
President of Nashik District Onion Traders Association, Khandu Deore, after meeting with district guardian minister Dada Bhuse on Monday, the protesters ended their strike under the condition that the government rule on their demands within a month. “If there will be no solution to the demands, we will have to take a decision again.”
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