PUNE: As onion prices have fallen 25-30% in a week in wholesale markets of Maharashtra , traders and farmer organisations across the state have threatened to keep markets closed from October 7. Supply is down to nearly half in major markets in the state owing to fear of government action over violation of stock limit imposed by the Centre.“If the government does not remove all the restrictions on onion trade by October 5 , we have decided to support the decision of the traders to keep all the markers closed from October 7 ,” said Anil Ghanvat, president, Shetkari Sangathana.After wholesale prices touched Rs 50 per kg in September, the Centre banned exports and imposed stock limits, allowing retail traders to keep only 100 quintal of onions and wholesale traders 500 quintals.“Traders are afraid because unlike in the past, this time the government is implementing the stock limit strictly,” said a Pune-based trader, who did not want to be identified.Some traders from Maharashtra claimed that their trucks were sealed in Uttar Pradesh , adding to apprehensions among traders.Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) from Ahmednagar, a prominent onion belt after Nashik , decided to keep markets closed from Monday to Wednesday next week . Onion trader Nandikishor Shikre said, “It is difficult to work under stock limit. If someone faces difficulty in getting truck to load onions for dispatches, he can be held responsible for violation of stock limit as the goods waiting for truck will add up to the goods purchased on daily basis in trading.”Onion trade has declined to less than half in Nashik district , even as the continuing rainy weather has deteriorated the quality of onions stored by farmers for the past four months. Onion arrivals at Lasalgaon on September 19, when average wholesale price was the highest this year at Rs 45 per kg, or Rs 18,000 quintal. It fell to Rs 3,700 per quintal on October 3, as prices declined to Rs 27 per kg.Jaydatta Holkar, chairman of Lasalgaon APMC, said: “We have conveyed to the government the demand of traders to give them a cushion period of about four to five days to dispose onions from date of purchase from farmers.”Though wholesale prices have reduced sharply, retail prices remain firm.