Onion rates crash, farmers dejected

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Pipli (Kurukshetra), May 2

Crash in onion prices in various parts of the country has left the bulb growers in Haryana worried about better returns. The vegetable has started arriving at the region’s largest wholesale onion mandi here.

Farmers said they were being offered price of Rs 600 per quintal by traders whereas last year, the crop was sold up to three times of the existing rates.

A farmer from Charanthal village in the district said today, he was expecting higher returns from his bumper crop but the market trend was very disappointing.

“I sowed onion on six acres of land and yielded nearly 110 quintals from an acre. I hoped for handsome returns from the crop, but the news of onion glut in the large onion growing states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh has lowered the wholesale prices,” he said.

The average wholesale onion prices fell to a two-year low at Rs 600 per quintal in markets of the region due to reported excess production in the country.

Reports said the bulb was being sold at anything between Rs 10 and Rs 15 per kg in retail markets in the city and adjoining districts.

Another farmer, Bachan Singh from Babain, said prices had been steadily falling for the last few days, heightening worries for the farmers who could not hold on to this perishable commodity till prices stabilise.

“As there is no mechanism to store the produce, we left with no choice but to sell the crop at the price quoted by commission agents,” he said.

Commission agent Manoj Kumar said as onion arrival would pick up from next week, prices might dip further.

“Overproduction of onion led to low pricing. There is a glut in mandis of the onion growing states and prices have been impacted,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Gurnam Singh Charuni blamed the government for the situation.

“Swaminathan Commission report categorically suggested fixing minimum prices for onion, potato and tomatoes for benefit of the farmers. Also, by timely assessing the crop situation, the Centre could have allowed export of onions. It would have balanced stocks and farmers could get better rates,” he said.

“Discouraged by low rates, farmers are bound to cut onion sowing and it would lead to soaring prices of the crop next season,” he said.