Govt introduces licence, MSP for onion growers
In a major move to protect onion growers from exploitation and also offer relief to ‘burdened’ consumers, Telangana State government has brought into force strict measures to prevent abnormal increase in the price of this essential commodity and provide remunerative prices to farmers in the state.
Hyderabad: In a major move to protect onion growers from exploitation and also offer relief to ‘burdened’ consumers, Telangana State government has brought into force strict measures to prevent abnormal increase in the price of this essential commodity and provide remunerative prices to farmers in the state.
Following the footsteps of neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra, the government on Friday issued The Telangana Onions Dealers (Licensing, Storage and Regulation) Order, 2016 entrusting the Civil Supplies and Marketing departments to fix prices of the essential commodity in the retail market at regular intervals.
Henceforth, traders would have to buy onions from farmers by paying remunerative prices announced by the government. The government also put restrictions on possession of onion stocks in their godowns by the licensee or agents. In category A (all municipal corporations), each trader should maintain not more than 75 quintals, while 40 quintals in category B (municipalities) and 30 quintals in category C areas (mandals).
Officials of the state Civil Supplies department said that ‘the licensee shall not sell onions at a price higher than the maximum price, if any.’ The interests of growers would also be protected by providing Minimum Support Prices (MSP) depending on the quality.
Traders would have to pay MSP as decided by government to the farmers before they buy the agricultural produce at the fields.Officials said that the Civil Supplies, Marketing and Revenue departments were authorised to conduct regular raids on hoarders and cancel the licences of agents if caught.
