Mumbai, Dec 24: A farmer in Maharashtra dramatically protested plunging onion prices on Monday by placing a garland of onions around the neck of Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane during a religious event in Chirai village.
The incident occurred as Rane addressed the gathering at a program for the Paduka Darshan of Sant Nivruttinath Maharaj. The farmer, identified as an onion producer, was detained by police after attempting to speak to the crowd.
Farmers in the region have been grappling with a sharp decline in onion prices, which have dropped by ₹2,000 per quintal over the past 10 days. The average selling price has fallen to ₹2,400 per quintal, driven by a surplus from fresh crop arrivals.
The farmer protest highlights growing frustration with the 20% export duty on onions, which was introduced earlier this year to stabilize domestic prices. Critics argue that the duty has failed to achieve its goal and has instead intensified the economic strain on farmers.
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has called on the central government to remove the export duty to provide relief to distressed farmers.
In a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar emphasized the compounded challenges of unseasonal rains and climate change, which have already inflicted significant losses on onion growers.
“The summer yield has been exhausted, and the fresh crop has reached markets across Maharashtra. However, farmers are now distressed as they are unable to secure a minimum support price for their produce,” Pawar wrote.
Pawar also addressed the Winter Session of the state legislature in Nagpur, stressing the urgency of policy intervention. “Unseasonal rains and climate change have already caused substantial losses to onion growers. Immediate action is necessary to provide relief to farmers,” he said.
The protest underscores the mounting pressure on the government to address the plight of farmers, who are facing severe financial challenges due to declining prices and policy measures they perceive as inadequate.
