Onion Farmers Hit By Storage And Market Troubles
Farmers complain of inadequate storage facilities, lack of support for crop diversification, and other challenges.
Kurnool:While Markfed is purchasing onions from district farmers at Rs 1,200 per quintal, several problems plague the scene. Farmers complain of inadequate storage facilities, lack of support for crop diversification, and other challenges.
Kurnool district is a major onion-growing area, and some varieties are exported to foreign markets. However, due to a fall in prices, farmers are gradually reducing the cultivation area. Currently, onions are grown on only 15,000 hectares in the district, compared to 28,500 hectares in 2021-22. The peak cultivation was in 2022-23 on around 29,700 hectares.
This year, the onion yield has been good, and farmers expected higher prices and profits. However, continuous rainfall and market problems caused prices to drop significantly, prompting farmers to seek governmental support.
The state government announced a support price of `1,200 per quintal and urged farmers to bring their stocks to the Kurnool market yard to ensure better returns.
Minister TG Bharath and senior officials assured farmers that if traders purchase onions for less than `12 per kilo, the government will deposit the remaining amount directly into the farmers’ accounts.
On Saturday, more than 1,600 tonnes of onion arrived at the market yard. Traders purchased them at prices ranging from ` 200 to `1,100 per quintal depending on quality. Officials confirmed that the remaining amount will be deposited into the farmers’ accounts as part of the market support mechanism.
Markfed also conducted an open auction for around 1,000 tonne onions on Sunday.
District collector Ranjit Basha said that this year, the onion crop was expected to yield around 1.50 lakh tonnes. Horticulture joint director Ramanjaneyulu said around 30 per cent of the total crop has been harvested.
“Continuous rains have damaged some crops, reducing both quality and market prices. Prices are unlikely to rise in the coming weeks,” he said, and added that the bulk of the harvest would hit the market by the month-end, which could keep prices further low.
An air-conditioned warehouse had been planned for the Market Yard in Kurnool during the TDP period between 2014 and 2019 at an estimated cost of `5 crore. However, only 50 per cent of the work was completed. If fully operational, the facility could store up to 5 lakh tonnes of onion. Farmers are urging the government to complete this project to alleviate storage problems and protect them from future market losses.
Experts also recommend providing farmers with techniques for market diversification to prevent wastage and secure better profits even when prices are low.
