These days Lasalgaon onion market or mandi is in a lot of discussion. This time the market has broken the 75-year-old tradition of shutting down its operations on every new moon day. People believed that doing business on this day is inauspicious.
Farmers are afraid to transport their onions on this day , but now this tradition has been broken. The farmers have raised their voice against this "superstition" and have decided to do business on the new moon day.
Market used to be closed on Amavasya
Lasalgaon Onion Market was established on 1st April, 1947. Since that time, farmers and traders followed the tradition of keeping the market closed on the new moon.
Reason behind breaking tradition
About 15,000 to 30,000 tonnes of onions are traded in the mandi daily . If the market remains closed for even a day, there is a huge loss. Nevertheless, the merchants continued the tradition without questioning or opposing the tradition. However, the corona pandemic has changed all this. The onion market was often closed during the lockdown last year. Due to this, onion farmers have suffered huge losses.
Onion supply across the country
This mandi supplies onions to different parts of the country . Even minor changes in onion supply have a direct impact on the wholesale and retail markets. According to the traders of Lasalgaon onion market, the daily requirement of onion in India is 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes. Bharat Dighole, president of Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association, says, “One day a bandh means stockpiling of onions and the next day an increase in arrivals. The result is a fall in the price accrued to the farmers.
Another tradition
“There is another tradition of closing the market for 10 days during the end of March. It is another kind of superstition that all markets have to be closed during the financial year ending. By the way, APMC and traders should never close the market. As per the announcement made by the President of Lasalgaon Merchant Association, business will continue on Amavasya and Saturday to prevent loss to farmers and traders.
According to modern farmers
After the corona pandemic, we cannot afford to continue with the age-old traditions and superstitions. It s time to question and ask "why". A farmer remarked, as long as you are working or doing your "karma", everything is good.
Lasalgaon onion market has set a great example. It is time to break baseless traditions and question superstitions, so from women farmers entering the market auctions to opening the market on Amavasya, this onion market shows us how to adapt to the new conditions.
This news has not been edited by Apni Kheti staff but has been published by various news feeds
Source: Krishi Jagran