Onion auction resumes at 5 of 15 APMCs in Nashik dist

Nashik: Onion auctions have started in five out of the 15 APMCs in the district. However, it is unclear if auctions will resume at the remaining 10 APMCs.
New traders helped start the auctions at the market committees in Lasalgaon, Vinchur, Niphad, Nampur and Nashik.
Lasalgaon APMC officials said, “Around 30 new onion traders participated in the onion auction at Lasalgaon APMC on Friday.Nearly 4,800 quintals of onions were auctioned and the average wholesale onion price was recorded at Rs 1,350 per quintal.”
Members of the Nashik District Onion Traders Association (NDOTA) have started participating in onion auctions in private markets at 10-12 locations of the district.
According to the traders, around 50,000 quintals of onions were being auctioned at these private markets every day. Moreover, the average wholesale onion prices at these private markets were around Rs 1,400 per quintal.
However, onion auctions have been not yet commenced at the other APMCs since April 4.
Since April 4, traders they would not deduct weighing and labour charges from farmers (about Rs 11 per quintal) nor transfer that amount to the Mathadi Board every month.
Auctions were halted after this decision.
Moreover, the Nashik District Mathadi Workers Union (NDMWU) want the traders to pay a 34% levy on the amount collected from farmers through weighing and labour charges. However, the traders are refusing to pay.
Onion traders said they were ready to participate in onion auctions in the APMCs, but they will not deduct the weighing and labour charges from the farmers.
Meanwhile, Pimpalgaon APMC, the second largest onion market in the country after Lasalgaon, has told the Pimpalgaon Onion Traders Association (POTA) to participate in auction from April 22 without deducting the weighing and labour charges. However, traders will have to abide by the decision of state govt after the code of conduct is over.