Mumbai

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the Centre is likely to take positive decisions soon on several demands related to sugarcane and onion farmers following discussions with Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, along with ministers, senior officials and representatives from the cooperative sector.

According to an official release, the discussions focused on issues such as increasing the minimum support price (MSP) for sugar, enhancing ethanol quotas, restructuring loans of sugar mills, releasing pending interest subvention amounts, onion procurement, export policies and grading mechanisms for agricultural produce.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Fadnavis said Amit Shah agreed that the MSP for sugar should be revised upwards.

“The Union minister indicated that a substantial increase in the ethanol quota may be approved within the next two months,” Fadnavis said.

He added that the Centre had also assured support in resolving the issue of restructuring loans taken by sugar factories in coordination with the Maharashtra government.

According to the chief minister, the Union government also agreed to release pending interest subvention dues immediately.

Fadnavis said the Centre had sought a proposal from the Maharashtra government regarding price regulation in the sugar sector, and the state was in the process of submitting it.

On issues concerning onion farmers, the chief minister said the discussions were encouraging, especially regarding procurement and exports.

He said the demand to allow direct onion procurement from farmers through NAFED and NCCF, instead of through traders, had been accepted.

The Maharashtra government has also requested the Centre to increase onion procurement by NAFED and NCCF from the current 2 lakh tonnes to 10 lakh tonnes, he added.

Fadnavis further said the Centre had accepted the state’s proposal to impose a significant export surcharge on onion seeds in order to safeguard domestic markets.

“The procurement price for onions was recently raised to Rs 15.80 per kilogram. Discussions were also held on the possibility of increasing it further,” he said.

Clarifying the Centre’s policy, Fadnavis noted that restrictions currently apply only to onion seeds and not to onion exports themselves.

Addressing complaints from farmers regarding rejection of produce during procurement due to grading norms, he said mechanised grading systems would now be introduced to ensure greater transparency and fairness.

The chief minister also said a memorandum concerning the problems faced by mango growers, particularly Alphonso (Hapus) cultivators, was submitted to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

According to Fadnavis, the state government informed the Union minister that insurance-related conditions were creating difficulties for mango farmers and needed revision.

“He assured us that he will hold discussions with insurance companies and work towards an appropriate solution,” Fadnavis said.

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Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi, several MPs, MLAs, state ministers and senior officials were also present during the meeting.