Onion prices fall, farmers blame Maharashtra government

Nashik: Contrary to expectations after heavy demand for onion in upcountry markets, prices of the tuber have fallen by Rs 4 per kg in wholesale markets in Nashik even as farmers blame the government for their losses, said sources. Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) chairman Jaydatt Holkar said that there was fear psychosis among merchants as the government was keeping a strict eye on onion transactions.

“Onion stocks in godowns are being monitored by the administration while various central committee members have visited APMCs to check the market. Hence, merchants are reluctant to purchase more, or deal with onion. Also, Egyptian onion has arrived in Lasalgaon,” Holkar said.

He informed that there was heavy demand for Nashik onion throughout the country as stocks in most states had been depleted. “In Gujarat, the floods destroyed the onion crop while in MP, the state government purchased onion in large quantities but did not have the infrastructure to store it, and the stock got spoiled. In south India too, the situation is similar and presently, only Nashik has the capability to stock and sell onion,” said Holkar.

“There is enough onion in Nashik to last till October end, when the new onion crop is harvested. In local APMCs, the daily arrival of onion is in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 quintals,” Holkar added.

Frustrated farmer Dinkar Aher said that farmers were in bad shape. “At Rs 15 per kg, you don’t even get soil and we are forced to sell onion at prices below this. Now that the government has imported onion, let it import agriculture workers and we will sit at home,” he said.

Meanwhile Nashik collector Radhakrishnan B. said that people should not believe in rumours. However, he said that they were closely monitoring the situation.