Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar Urges Centre To Lift 20% Export Duty On Onions To Aid Farmers
Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar Urges Centre To Lift 20% Export Duty On Onions To Aid Farmers
Pune, December 20, 2024: Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, has requested the central government to urgently remove the 20% export duty on onions to support farmers grappling with falling prices and losses due to unseasonal rains.
In a letter to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar highlighted that with the arrival of new crops in Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), especially in Nashik, onion prices have plummeted to ₹2,400 per quintal.
Pawar warned that if export restrictions remain in place, farmers may receive prices below the minimum support price (MSP), exacerbating their financial distress. He stressed that onions from Nashik are in high demand abroad and that lifting the export duty would help farmers secure better rates, aiding them in recovering from their losses.
