Maharashtra onion farmers demand Rs 3,000/quintal, say relief measures fall short

Farmers in Maharashtra welcomed Centre’s decision to relax onion procurement rules. At the same time, they said, the move does not solve the main problem and have demanded a minimum procurement price of Rs 3,000 per quintal.They say the rates being offered by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), at around Rs 1,580 per quintal, are too low and do not cover farming costs.The Centre has eased quality and size rules for onion procurement. The acceptable size range has been increased from 45-65 mm to 35-70 mm. Rules on blemishes, colour changes, skin defects and minor sun damage have also been relaxed.Even so, farmer leaders said the main issue remains low prices, not procurement eligibility.“Norms have been relaxed, but farmers are still incurring losses. The real question is when onion prices will increase,” Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association’s Nashik district president Jaydeep Bhadane said.He said earlier, farmers bringing 30 quintals of onions for procurement would often have only about 25 quintals accepted, with the rest sold at lower market prices. He added that “The benefit of relaxed norms will depend on how effectively they are implemented on the ground.”Bhadane also repeated the demand for Rs 3,000 per quintal as a minimum support price, saying the current rate of around Rs 1,580 per quintal is not enough to meet costs.Association president Bharat Dighole said the average cost of producing onions is about Rs 1,800 per quintal, forcing farmers to sell at a loss.“When farmers are compelled to sell onions below production cost, they are pushed into financial distress. The rates announced by central procurement agencies are like rubbing salt into farmers' wounds,” Dighole claimed.The association has also asked for more transparency in procurement. It wants NAFED and NCCF to publish daily lists of farmers whose onions are being bought.It also wants procurement to be done through Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) to reduce problems and ensure fair prices.The farmers’ body has demanded a subsidy of Rs 1,500 per quintal for those who sold onions at low prices over the last four to five months, saying many farmers have suffered heavy losses due to weak market rates.The Maharashtra government has waived APMC fees on onion procurement by NAFED and NCCF to reduce costs and speed up buying. But farmers say this benefit will mostly help agencies unless procurement prices are increased.