Amid uncertainty over the fate of the export ban, the farmers in Maharashtra are selling the onion during auction at lower price. The onion is currently stored in the storages and the farmers fear that it will go waste if not cleared as they will incur heavy losses.
On Thursday, 9,000 quintals of onion was auctioned at Lasalgaon at the average price of Rs 2,400 per quintal. Some farmers earned Rs 2,900 per quintal.
Onion grower Jayadatta Holkar said, “The farmers have no option but to dispose of the stock at the prevailing prices. This is the better option otherwise they will incur huge losses if onion stored in storages is damaged. In Nashik district, which is the leading onion growing district, about 1.25 lakh quintal onion was auctioned at the average price of Rs 2,400 per quintal which is almost Rs 1,000 per quintal compared to Rs 3,400 per quintal which they have got on Monday when the ban was announced.’’ He said that the farmers were quite optimistic to get better prices not in the domestic but in the international markets especially in Bangladesh.
‘’However, the untimely ban has come as a rude shock. Following the ban, the onion auctioned will be sold now in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,’’ said Holkar.
Another farmer Tanaji Bankar said he had sold onion at Rs 4,000 per quintal on Monday. ‘’The sudden ban has crashed our dreams too. We are left with no alternative to even go for distress sale to fulfil our family commitments,’’ he viewed. He demanded that the Centre should immediately withdraw the ban on export and thereby help the onion growers.
