The farmers are in deep trouble due to the fact that they have not been able to recover their expenses owing to the falling onion prices.
Onion farmers in Nasik have demanded a fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for onions after selling onions at 5 paise per kg, and have threatened to start the state-wide agitation against the BJP government in Maharashtra if their demands are not met.
According to government data, on 2016 the onion yield was 2.30 crore metric tonnes against domestic consumption of 1.30 crore metric tonnes in India.
"Besides, the export is 12 lakh tonnes. If we consider the 20% damage, there is still excessive production of 25-35 lakh metric tonnes. Therefore the onion prices are drastically going down," said an onion trader.
Nanasaheb Patil, chairman of Agriculture Production Market Committee (APMC), Lasalgaon said that, on 2016, the supply is much more than the demand. "Government should step in and resolve the agrarian crisis. It should promote export so that farmers will able to recover their expenses."
Currently, we have exported 12 lakh metric tonnes of onion while the record export is 18 lakh metric tonnes. We are exporting mainly to the Gulf, Sri Lanka and Netherlands. The government should give subsidy for exports that will help lift the decimated onion prices," Patil said.
He said that the excessive supply has led to traders buying only the good quality onions, "So there are no buyers to the poor quality of the onion. Farmers are desperate to sell while traders do not want to buy. As a result, these type of onions are sold between the 5 paise to Rs 2 per kg bracket."
Lamenting that, on 2016, the farmers are in deep trouble due to the fact that they have not been able to recover their expenses, "Therefore, they are very unhappy with the incumbent government," Patil added.
Tukaram Patil, onion trader said that the APMC traders had gone on a month long protest against the government's decision to de-list the vegetable from the APMC list. "Moreover, the new crop arrival has started in south so we no more send the onion there. That onion is sold in Maharahshtra only. Farmer are facing crisis after crisis this year," Patil said.
Moreover, the nationalist congress party has recently protested against the BJP-led government over declining onion prices.
"As a mark of protest, onions were thrown at the Collector's office and local revenue offices in Nasik district. Most farmers don't even get the onions to the market but dump them in the dump yard. We hope the government immediately steps in and resolves the issue," said Rajesh Jadhav, a farmer from Dhule.
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