Mumbai: For the ruling Mahayuti government, it’s an attempt to correct the political mistakes that proved costly during the Lok Sabha elections. The farming community, particularly those cultivating onions and soybeans, suffered significant losses and expressed dissatisfaction with the Central government, which left the BJP-led NDA facing backlash.
In this backdrop, the NDA government’s decision to lift export curbs on onions and Basmati rice and to increase import duty on edible oil which is set to bring soybean at the minimum support price (MSP) rates came as a major relief for the Mahayuti partners.
The government increased the basic customs duty on crude palm, soybean and sunflower seed oil from nil to 20%, and the basic customs duty on refined palm, soybean and sunflower oil from 12.5% to 32.5%. It also cut the duty on onion export to 20% from 40%, which was in place since May 4.
CM Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were quick to hail the decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I thank PM Modi for taking the decision to remove the minimum export price (MEP) on onion. Although the export ban on onions had been lifted, the MEP was imposed. Due to this, the farmers had to face difficulties. I had also requested the Centre to remove the MEP. The decision to remove the MEP of $550 per tonne has come as a relief to thousands of onion growers in Maharashtra and will significantly increase onion exports and increase farmers’ income,” the CM posted on ‘X’.
Ajit Pawar said that the Centre’s move has given a big relief to onion, Basmati rice and soybean farmers. “I thank PM Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah for the decisions. I had consistently requested Amit Shah and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to cancel the MEP on Basmati rice and onion and increase the import duty on edible oil,” he said.
The import duty hike on soybean would give a big relief as it will get good prices, he said. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also welcomed the Centre’s decision to remove MEP on onions and Basmati rice.
Dy CM Fadnavis welcomed the hike in basic customs duty on crude and refined sunflower and soybean oil. “The Modi government has taken very important decisions so that farmers get a good price for their produce. Farmers will hugely benefit from these moves,” he said.
