Amid onion farmers’ protest in Maharashtra’s Nashik district against ban on exports, the government has decided to procure 2 lakh tonnes of onion for its buffer stock from all mandis.
The buffer stock will be used to arrest spike in retail prices, the government said.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said, “There will not be any impact of export ban on farmers as the procurement is going on. So far this year, we have procured 5.10 lakh tonnes of onion and about 2 lakh tonnes kharif crop will be procured.”
Usually, the government procure rabi onion considering its long shelf life.
On December 8, the Centre banned onion exports till March 31 next year to increase domestic availability and keep prices under check. This has led to protests by onion farmers in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.
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