The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) is effectively on track to meet its target of procuring onions from Nashik for the Centre’s buffer stock, and is probably to comprehensive the purchases in the next fortnight, senior officials from the federation mentioned. The agency has procured about 1.4 lakh tonne of the target of 2 lakh tonne of buffer stock from Maharashtra and Gujarat, senior officials from NAFED, in charge of the procurement course of action, mentioned.
NAFED is supposed to procure some 2 lakh tonne of onion as the buffer stock at the prevailing industry price, beneath the Price Stabilisation Fund. Of the total target, Maharashtra’s share is 1.5 lakh tonne, of which 1.4 lakh tonne will be procured by way of farmer producer businesses — Maharajya, Pruthashakti Farmer Producer Company and MahaFPC, and the remaining 10,000 tonne by way of NAFED.
Yogesh Thorat, MD, Maharashtra Farmer Producer Company (MahaFPC) – a federation representing practically 303 farmer producer businesses (FPCs) in the state, mentioned the agencies had been facing high-quality issues as the very same has been deteriorating due to climate situations. Maha FPC has bought round 31,000 tonne so far this year.
Last year, Nafed procured about 1 lakh tonne of onion, of which 75,000 tonne was procured from Maharashtra. The Government of India maintains buffer stocks of bulb onion to make suitable value stabilising industry interventions.
Onions from buffer stocks are released in a calibrated manner by way of retail intervention to retail agencies/states/UTs and for open industry sale throughout the lean season or period to include costs and availability.
Narendra Wadhavane, secretary, Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), mentioned, “NAFED has been purchasing around 650-700 quintals on a daily basis. Farmers are bringing out their stored onion stock because of the fear of deterioration in quality.”
It has been raining heavily for the last one week and the percentage of rotting has been more this time, though it can’t be quantified at this point, he mentioned. “Because of the good rainfall, the early kharif onion arrivals could begin in September. By October, arrivals could be in full swing,” mentioned Wadhvane. Prices have also been ruling steady this year in the domestic industry with the industry moving either way by Rs 200 or Rs 300 a quintal and industry arrivals are satisfactory, he mentioned.
On Tuesday, about 11250 quintals of onion arrived in Lasalgaon to be sold at an typical value of Rs 1750 per quintal. On Monday, arrivals had been to the tune of 19115 quintals. Market officials pointed out that NAFED had been producing purchases each inside the industry environs and also by way of farmer producer businesses to be in a position to meet the targets promptly.