Rs 50 per quintal subsidy for onion growers in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Apr 5 (UNI) The Maharashtra government today announced a subsidy of Rs 50 per quintal for onion growers, who had sold their produce to the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) during February and March this year.

A transport subsidy of Rs 10,000 per container for exports to non-European countries as an incentive. has also been announced.

Making a statement in both the Houses of the Legislature, Marketing Minister Harshvardhan Patil said the fall in onion prices was a ''record'' as witnessed in February.

Due to the drastic fall, onions which were sold at a price ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000 per quintal till December last year, were now being sold at around Rs 250 to Rs 300 per quintal since February.

The decision would be applicable to onions sold in all APMCs in the state except Mumbai, the minister said.

The state government will follow up the proposal for declaring Rs five per kg as minimum support price for onions with the centre, he added.

In the lower house, however, Eknath Khadse (BJP) felt the subsidy announced was not adequate. ''The government is giving concessions for exporters, but not to ordinary farmers'', he lamented.

The opposition members later staged a walkout in protest against the low amount of subsidy.

UNI MR KD CS BS2008