Onion markets in Nashik remained closed on Friday owing to a row between onion traders and maparis (people weighing the commodity) over the electronic weighing of onions. Jayadatta Holkar, the chairman of Lasalgaon, Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) said onion traders were against paying any kind of levy to Matadi workers since the onions were being electronically weighed. Earlier onion weighing was done manually and 55-60 paise per quintal was given to the Maparis, a part of the Mathadi workers. This levy then goes to the Mathadi Board as saving for their future. Nashikk district reports arrivals of around 70,000 to 75,000 quintals ofonions onn a daily basis and work has come to a halt since the maparis are not available for weighing the commodity.
Onions are weighed on the electronic weighing bridges and thereafter they are again weighed after they are unloaded. After the auction, a mapari prepares a weight receipt and the concerned trader gives a levy of 55-60 paise per quintal to the maparis on the basis of the weight receipt. Traders are refusing to pay levy to Mathadis on the grounds that weight is taken electronically. Traders want the weight receipt to carry the weighing machine number to indicate the electronic transaction, so that Mathadis cannot claim the levy of 55-60 paise, he pointed out.