Onion prices have been on a freefall in Maharashtra over the past few days with farmers getting as low as Rs 2 per kg on Monday.
Onion farmers say that at current prices, they are selling their crop at a loss and have demanded an immediate grant of Rs 1,500 per quintal of onions and that the government buy their produce at Rs 15-20 per kg.
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Farmers stop auction at APMC
On Monday, following the steep fall in onion procurement prices at the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Asia’s biggest onion market, farmers stopped the auction.
As soon as the auction process began, as the market opened for the week on Monday, onions fetched a minimum price of Rs 200 per quintal, a maximum rate of Rs 800 per quintal and an average price of Rs 400-450 per quintal.
As a result, the angry farmers stopped the auction of onions and started an agitation.
It costs Rs 50,000 to grow one-acre onion
Onion growers said the government should immediately declare a grant of Rs 1,500 per quintal of onions and purchase their produce at Rs 15 to Rs 20 per kg. Otherwise, they will not let the auction resume at the Lasalgaon APMC in the Nashik district.
A farmer said that they incur a cost of Rs 50,000 per acre to grow onions, while they earn only Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 for the produce sold at the auctions. He also said that it has come to the point that the farmers were considering suicide – a better option, adding that the Modi government should extend a helping hand to the farmers.
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Onion prices reach assembly
On Tuesday, the fall in onion prices also rocked the Maharashtra legislative assembly.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs on Tuesday reached Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha carrying onions on their head and wearing onion garlands demanding a fair price for onions as prices dipped.
Onion is the main cash crop in Maharashtra and it accounts for 35 to 40 per cent of the country’s total production of the staple vegetable.
The Kharif crop’s current harvest contains high moisture and cannot be stored for long, forcing farmers to sell them at the earliest, even at a lower price.
Farmer makes Rs 2 selling 512 kg onion
Last week Rajendra Tukaram Chavan, an onion farmer from Maharashtra’s Solapur, was left with a net profit of Rs 2.49 after selling 512 kg onions at Solapur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC).
A trader bought his onion for Re 1 per kg, and after deducting loading, transport and labour charges, he was left with just Rs 2.49.
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