Onion prices low due to poor quality

Indore, Sep 11 (UNI) Low onion prices due to poor quality of production has brought tears in the eyes of farmers and stockists this year.

The production of onion in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh had been affected up to 50-60 per cent because of weather besides other reasons.

In wholesale market, onion was being sold at Rs 0.50 to Rs 6 per kg, whereas it was fetching from Rs 3-8 per kg to retailers.

The country produced about 15 lakh tonnes onion annually with one third production in Maharashtra alone.

Comparatively, onion was sold at Rs 10-15 per kg by stockists during September 2005. In view of the last year's rates, peasants as well as traders in the state had stocked onion to sell it at higher price later.

However, heavy rains this year even damaged the stock by 50-60 per cent.

Most damages had occurred in Dewas and Ujjain, which where lashed by torrential rains during this monsoon.

Dewas district's Bagli-based farmer Narayan Patidar revealed that he had stocked 300 sacks of onion but only 100-125 sacks were suitable for sale.

The condition of Babulal Bawai, a farmer from Sonkutchh in Dewas district was not different.

Besides, onion stock, which arrived from Maharashtra, was selling at lesser amount than the purchasing cost.

At present, daily arrival was around 10-15 truckload in Indore wholesale market -- almost equal to quantity of local production arriving here daily.

With expectation of new onion crop to be ready to be sold in Maharashtra and locally, farmers were being compelled to dispose the present stock as early as possible even at low price.

Cultivators felt that the government was not coming to their rescue. Though it arranged for reducing prices when onion was sold at higher prices, no positive action was taken to settle the price to save them from loss.

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