Hailstorm, rain take its toll, Rs 98 crore-worth rotten onion waiting to be disposed

About 14 lakh quintals of onion worth about Rs 98 crore, which has been spoiled due to the unseasonal rains and hailstorm that lashed Yeola tehsil of Nashik district last month, has to be thrown away now as there are no takers for it.

The rains and hailstorm damaged most of the standing crop in the region. But onion farmers were the most affected. They had hoped that while the stem was lost the bulbs below would remain intact. But that was not to be.

With the prices reaching up to Rs 6000 a quintal last year, onions fetched the farmers good returns. This motivated farmers to sow onion over a larger acreage. The yield was good and when it was nearly ready to be harvested, rains and hailstorm struck, crashing farmers' hopes.

When harvested, the onions had appeared to be intact. But farmers soon found out that when exposed to the sun and heat, it rotted, turning black and emanating a foul smell. Obviously there were no takers for such a produce. Traders have rejected it, cattle too wouldn't eat it. And now about 14 lakh quintal onion is waiting to be thrown away.

Had this been a good crop, it would have fetched the farmers an average of Rs 700 per quintal, said experts. Which in effect means Rs 98 crore would go down the drain.

This unexpected setback has upset the yearly financial planning of the farmers here. Not only have their crops failed to fetch them any returns, they are now burdened with the task of disposing the rotten stuff. Many farmers are now planning to spread it in the soil as a form of manure.

Hailstorm and unseasonal rains affected more than 50 villages in Yeola tehsil alone. The region is known for its onion crop. This year onion was planted in an additional 7,500 hectors. The early season was good and hence farmers here expected a yield of 150-160 quintals per acre from 18,750 acres, making it about 28,1200 quintals in the tehsil. However, more than 50% of the crop was damaged.