Maharashtra onion farmers' body seeks subsidy citing falling prices, mounting costs

Dighole demanded that the state and central governments immediately provide a subsidy of Rs 1,500 per quintal to affected onion growers, remove export restrictions on onions, regulate commissions in market committees, provide direct market access to farmers and announce a guaranteed support price for onions.

Onion growers in Maharashtra are on the verge of ''economic destruction'' due to crashing prices and mounting cultivation costs, and the government must step in by providing a subsidy of Rs 1,500 per quintal, a farmers' association said on Friday. Prices of the kitchen staple fell sharply over the past several months while the cost of seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, labour, irrigation, electricity, transport and storage have risen substantially, said the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association. Association founder-president Bharat Dighole alleged that farmers were unable to recover even their production cost. A farmer from Neknoor in Beed district brought 41 sacks of onion to the Solapur market for sale, but only 20 sacks could be sold. After deducting labour charges, commissions, market fees, transport and other expenses, he was left with Rs 519, the association said. In another case, an onion farmer at the Satana Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Nashik district received only Rs 50 per quintal, or 50 paise per kilogram, for his produce, and later attempted suicide on the market premises, the association said. Farmers staged a sit-in at the Vaijapur Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district and halted onion auctions after low prices were offered for their produce, it said. Dighole demanded that the state and central governments immediately provide a subsidy of Rs 1,500 per quintal to affected onion growers, remove export restrictions on onions, regulate commissions in market committees, provide direct market access to farmers and announce a guaranteed support price for onions. He also urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene personally in the matter. The association warned of a state-wide agitation that if immediate relief measures were not announced.