KURNOOL: Wholesale prices of onion have crashed to Rs. 610 per tonne at Kurnool Agricultural Market Yard, bringing tears to the growers. Onion prices have been seeing wild fluctuations from the recent past. What sold for Rs. 100 per kg is now selling for Rs.6 in the wholesale market.
When prices were ruling high, many farmers had sown the crop spending huge money on fertilisers and labour charges. But they are now regretting heavily.
Kurnool market yard is one of the biggest points for onion trading in the two Telugu states. There has been steady flow of arrivals from various parts of Kurnool in AP and Mahbubnagar in Telangana since the past few days, resulting in crashing of prices.
The only difference is that earlier, it was customers who had tears in their eyes and now, it is the turn of onion farmers. Market yard officials and traders fear the prices may further crash as low as Rs. 2 per kg, if the trend of onion arrivals continues for the next couple of weeks.
During the lockdown, prices of onions had reached the stratosphere, enticing farmers to sow the crop this year too. Their hope that the high price trend will continue this year too has been belied.
Kurnool market yard secretary R. Vijaya Lakshmi said with increasing area under onion cultivation and rains leading to a bumper crop, at least 3,000 quintals of onions are arriving into the market every day since the past few days.
Moreover, markets in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Orissa and Maharashtra are witnessing arrivals of locally grown onions. Thus, there is no demand for exports from Kurnool, she pointed out.
Vijaya Lakshmi said Rs. 1,530 per quintal is the highest price on Tuesday, the model price being Rs. 1,310 and lowest quoted at Rs.610 per quintal.
Ramnjaneyulu, a farmer from Juturu village in Pathikonda, said he was hoping he will get at least Rs. 20 per kg. But just Rs. 6 means it will be really difficult for him to survive after incurring huge expenditure in cultivating the crop.
Another farmer K. Giddaiah from Anugonda village in Kodumuru mandal said he had sown two acres with onions spending Rs. 60,000. He had sent 10 quintals of onions through a tractor to Kurnool market yard but had received just Rs 6,500, working to Rs. 6.50 per kg.
