Fadnavis Announces Onion Purchase At Rs 12.35/Kg; Farmers Unhappy
Mr. Chouhan also announced the release of the Centre’s share of assistance amounting to Rs 8,368.50 crore for Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) for the financial year 2026-27: Reports
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a major relief measure for onion growers amid the deepening onion price crisis in the state, stating that the Centre has decided to begin onion procurement at Rs 12.35 per kilogram. The announcement comes amid growing anger among onion farmers over the steep fall in prices caused by weak demand, export restrictions, adverse weather conditions and global instability, particularly in Gulf nations. Farmers have claimed that prevailing market rates are not even covering cultivation costs, pushing thousands of growers into economic distress.
Meanwhile, Bharat Dighole, president of the state onion growers’ association, criticised the announcement, stating that the decision does not provide relief to farmers and instead amounts to “rubbing salt into their wounds”.
Mr. Fadnavis was speaking at the Griha Pravesh ceremony of five lakh completed rural houses at the grounds of Sainik School in Satara district. The ceremony was also attended by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Centre has sanctioned 30 lakh houses for Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), of which five lakh houses have been completed so far.
Mr. Chouhan also announced the release of the Centre’s share of assistance amounting to Rs 8,368.50 crore for Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) for the financial year 2026-27.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said many farmers were being forced to throw away onions as they were receiving only Rs 1 for their produce. “I have requested Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to procure onions directly from farmers. Onion is a perishable commodity with a limited shelf life. The procured onions will be stored and later released into the market. Despite the lengthy process involved, the Union Agriculture Minister has accepted our request. Onions will now be procured in Maharashtra at the rate of Rs 12.35 per kilogram from today. This will provide respite to the onion-growing farmers of the state,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Referring to the issue of onion growers, Mr. Chouhan said discussions had been held with the Maharashtra Chief Minister and that onion prices had fallen due to the crisis in West Asia and Bangladesh. “As a result, onion-producing farmers have come under severe distress. To provide relief to them, onion procurement through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India has been started from today itself at the price of Rs 12.35 per kilogram,” Mr. Chouhan said.
However, the president of the state onion growers’ association said that at a time when onion cultivation costs had increased sharply, the announced procurement price of Rs 1,235 per quintal was “grossly inadequate, unjust and anti-farmer”.
Mr. Dighole also pointed out that when Mr. Fadnavis was Deputy Chief Minister in 2023, he had announced that the Centre would procure onions at Rs 2,410 per quintal. “Now, despite serving as the Chief Minister and despite a steep rise over the last three years in the cost of fertilisers, seeds, labour, medicines, transportation, electricity and storage, the government has decided to offer farmers less than half that rate,” he said.