5 paise a kg? No thanks, we'll keep onion sacks at home

PUNE: An onion farmer and his joint family worked their 10-acre farm to raise 1,000 quintals of onions only to be shocked that the buyer he got offered a measly 5 paise per kg on Monday. A distraught Milind Darade preferred to take the onions back from Saykheda subyard of Pimpalgaon APMC in Nashik and throw the onions in his farm.

The average wholesale price of onions at the Lasalgaon APMC was ruling at Rs 2-8kg on Wed nesday. Darade claimed that he has sold only 200 quintals of his total produce as he was waiting for rates to improve. “I received . 4.50kg on Saturday and had ` again taken 13 quintal onions to the market on the following Monday. I was desperate as the market was not functioning for almost a month after the state government decided to remove fruits and vegetables from the control of the APMCs. The onions are deteriorating due to rains,“ he said.

Maharashtra co-operative and marketing minister Subhash Deshmukh however denied reports about onion being sold at such throwaway prices. He promised to conduct an inquiry into the matter and said the government could begin purchase of onions through National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation.

Following record high onion prices in 2015, farmers across the country have increased area under the crop substantially. However, prices have been ruling below the cost of production despite there being no restrictions on exports.

“All that we want is minimum support price for onions,“ said Darade. Farmers and traders have already demanded subsidy for growers from the central government.