Mumbai, Aug 20 (PTI) Farmers in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district on Sunday halted the auction of onions to protest the Centre’s decision to impose 40 per cent duty on export of the kitchen staple.

Onion growers in Rahuri tehsil of Ahmednagar district halted the ongoing auction of the bulb in the wholesale market.

The Central government on Saturday imposed a 40 per cent duty on the export of onions till December 31, 2023 to increase domestic availability amid signs of increasing prices.

“The Union government's anti-farmer stand has again come to fore. Farmers in Maharashtra were expecting good returns from onion exports, but the imposed duty has ensured that there will not be any export. The prices in the domestic market will crash and farmers will incur losses,” said Sandeep Jagtap, state president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna.

Several parts of Maharashtra have received insufficient rainfall and this will delay the arrival of fresh onions in the market, he said, accusing the government of protecting the interests of consumers and ignoring farmers.

“Protests will be held in wholesale markets across the state to mount pressure on the Union government,” Jagtap said.

A group of farmers in Rahuri tehsil of Ahmednagar district halted the auction of onions in the wholesale market.

“The Centre should also pay attention to our woes because the export duty has sent a message to traders that all the available onion is going to be sold in domestic markets only. Traders have now started quoting lower prices for our produce,” a farmer protesting in Rahuri said.

According to sources at Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee, Asia's largest wholesale onion market, there was a rise of nearly 45 per cent in the prices of the kitchen staple last week.

“Onion was being sold at Rs 1,500 per quintal two weeks ago, and it jumped to Rs 2,200 in just one week. Now, the rates have started coming down, as exports have become nearly impossible,” a trader from Lasalgaon APMC said.