The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and the National Co-operative Consumers'
Federation of India Limited (NCCF) are set to purchase onions at Rs 2,940 per
100 kg in Maharashtra. This decision is part of the ministry's efforts under the Price
Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to procure around five lakh tonnes of onions
nationwide, aiming to stabilize prices and reduce disparities previously caused
by daily district-wise rates.
Despite these
measures, challenges such as payment delays and the procurement process's focus
on Farmer Producer Companies and Onion Producers Societies over individual
farmers or open markets have limited its effectiveness. Market prices for high-quality onions remain higher than the
government's procurement rate.
Stakeholders like
Kuber Jadhav and Bharat Dighole have voiced concerns over the procurement
strategy and its impact on farmers, suggesting alternative approaches like market
committee bidding to better align government rates with market conditions and
address broader inflation issues.
[ Rs 100 = €1.10 ]