NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil on Wednesday raised alarm over the sharp fall in onion prices, stating that farmers across Maharashtra are facing severe financial distress due to declining market rates and rising production costs. He urged the government to step in with immediate measures, even as a key farmers’ body held both the ruling dispensation and the Opposition responsible for the ongoing crisis, reported PTI.
Farmers Hit by Price Crash and Rising Costs
In a statement, Patil highlighted the widening gap between production costs and market returns. He said that the average cost of producing onions stands at around Rs 2,200 per quintal, while farmers are currently receiving between Rs 900 and Rs 1,300 per quintal, reported PTI.
He described the situation as unsustainable, noting that farmers are unable to recover even basic input costs. The crisis, he added, has deepened due to a combination of external and domestic factors affecting both supply and demand.
Export Disruptions and Weather Add to Crisis
Patil pointed to disruptions in onion exports as a major factor behind the price crash, linking it to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. He also flagged unseasonal rains that have damaged crops ready for harvest, compounding the financial strain on farmers, reported PTI.
Calling it a “double blow,” he said that farmers are grappling simultaneously with reduced export opportunities and crop losses, pushing them into deeper economic uncertainty.
Demand for Government Intervention
The NCP (SP) leader urged the state government to take urgent corrective steps, including efforts to resume onion exports and the announcement of a fair minimum support price. He stressed that timely intervention is critical to stabilise prices and prevent further distress in the farming community, reported PTI.
Patil also called on the chief minister to prioritise the issue, warning that continued inaction could worsen the situation for thousands of onion growers across the state.
Growers’ Body Blames Political Class
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association criticised both the Centre and the Opposition for the ongoing crisis. The association’s founder-president Bharat Dighole said policy decisions taken over the past few years have directly contributed to the price slump, reported PTI.
He pointed to the Centre’s 2023 export restrictions, including a ban, export duty, and minimum export price conditions, as key reasons for the sharp fall in onion prices. According to him, these measures severely impacted farmers’ earnings and market stability.
Opposition Accused of Inaction
Dighole also criticised Opposition leaders, particularly MPs from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, for failing to take a strong and united stand on the issue. He said that despite receiving support from farmers during elections, Opposition representatives have not effectively raised the crisis at the national level, reported PTI.
While acknowledging statements made by leaders such as Patil, he said these alone are insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
Falling Prices and Declining Exports
The farmers’ body noted that onion prices in Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) have dropped significantly. Kharif crop prices are currently ranging between Rs 300 and Rs 700 per quintal, while Rabi crop prices are between Rs 500 and Rs 1,100 per quintal – well below production costs estimated at Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 per quintal, reported PTI.
Additionally, onion exports have declined by around 30 per cent overall, with shipments to Gulf countries reportedly falling by 55 to 60 per cent.
Call for Unified Political Action
Dighole urged all MPs and MLAs from Maharashtra to rise above political differences and jointly raise the issue in Delhi. He warned that if urgent corrective measures are not taken, farmers will hold political leaders accountable in the future.
(With inputs from PTI)
