Maharashtra Marketing Minister Jaykumar Rawal on Friday said that pending payments to onion farmers are being cleared, admitting that delays in disbursal had led to protests earlier this year, reported news agency PTI.
In a written reply in the state Assembly, Rawal stated that agencies are currently processing dues related to onion procurement, assuring that payments will be completed at the earliest.
Farmer Protests in Nashik Over Pending Dues
The minister highlighted that farmers had staged a protest outside the NAFED office in Nashik on January 5 over pending payments. At the time, dues of around Rs 20 crore linked to the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) were outstanding.
The procurement of onions had been carried out on a large scale between June and August last year by NAFED and NCCF under the Centre’s Price Stabilisation Fund scheme.
While most farmers were paid within the stipulated timeframe, Rawal acknowledged that some payments were delayed due to administrative reasons.
Multiple Challenges Impacted Onion Farmers
The minister also pointed out that onion growers faced several challenges during the past year. Excess rainfall during the Kharif and late Kharif seasons adversely affected crop production across the state, reported PTI.
In addition, farmers suffered losses due to export restrictions, pest attacks, rising input costs, and low market prices, further aggravating their financial distress.
Farmer organisations had launched protests from September 18, 2025, in Daund taluka of Pune district, demanding a remunerative price of Rs 35 per kg for onions.
State Pushes Centre on Export Relief Measures
On the export front, Rawal said the state government had urged the Centre to remove the 20 per cent export duty on onions. Following sustained efforts, the Union government scrapped the duty through a notification issued on March 22, 2025, reported PTI.
He added that the state has also requested the Centre to increase export incentives under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RODTEP) scheme from 1.9 per cent to 4 per cent.
The move, he said, aims to support onion exporters, stabilise market prices, and ensure better returns for farmers, while addressing the concerns that had triggered widespread protests.
(With inputs from PTI)
