Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has urged the Centre to increase to 1,500 metric tonnes the onion stock holding limit for wholesale traders in the state, who purchase the key kitchen staple directly from farmers.
In a letter written to Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal on October 30, Thackeray said the wholesale traders have stopped purchasing onion from farmers due to the very limited stock limit of 25 metric tonnes.
"This has stalled the supply chain from farmers to consumers, which has resulted in an increase in prices of onion in the retail market," he said.
"Arrival of Kharif onion is likely to begin from the first week of November. Kharif onion is highly perishable. If this onion is not purchased by traders due to the present cap on stock holding, farmers in Maharashtra will face huge losses," he added.
In the last six months, onion farmers have already suffered due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the chief minister said and urged that the stock limit be increased to 1,500 metric tonnes.