At the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a high-level meeting on the onion crisis, with a key focus on the role of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India in procurement operations.
During the review, it was observed that traders procuring onions directly from farmers are reselling the produce to NAFED and other government agencies, limiting direct benefits to farmers. This practice has been identified as a major concern contributing to farmers’ losses.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that such intermediaries are eliminated and that NAFED strengthens direct procurement from farmers.
To address the issue, a committee comprising senior officials from the agriculture, finance, and marketing departments will recommend immediate corrective measures.
The government also plans to streamline procurement systems and enhance transparency in NAFED operations. Fadnavis emphasized that along with short-term interventions, long-term structural reforms must be implemented within the next two to three months to ensure fair pricing and protect onion growers from recurring market fluctuations.
