Onion auctions in all the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) in the district, including the Lasalgaon and Pimpalgaon Baswant, which are major onion markets here, will remain suspended from today for an indefinite period.

The onion auction in these APMCs remained shut as a result of an ongoing dispute between mapari (official grain measurers) and traders over weighing charges and putting receipt numbers on onion bags.

“Auction of onions did not take place at any of the APMCs in the district today, even though the grain and vegetable market was open. It will remain off for an indefinite period,” Jaidatta Holkar, Chairman of Lasalgaon APMC said.

According to him, there has been a dispute between the traders and maparis, with the former questioning the need to pay the latter saying that all the market committees in the district have electronic weighing machines that automatically weigh the agriculture produce.

The traders are also against putting receipt numbers on the onion bags as demanded by the mapari organisations.

“The maparis have been asking the traders to put receipt numbers on bags, which the traders have squarely refused,” Sohanlal Bhandari, President of Nashik District Traders’ Association said.

Holkar added that since the maparis as well as the traders are adamant on their stands, the market authorities decided to keep the actions at all APMCs off.

Holkar added that a meeting of APMC officials, traders and maparis with Maharashtra Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif is scheduled to take place on October 9 to discuss the issue.

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