BJP’s Tuljapur MLA urges state govt to push crop diversification amid onion price crash

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: BJP's Tuljapur MLA Ranajagjitsinha Patil has urged state govt to roll out an immediate relief package for onion farmers and adopt a crop diversification policy amid a sharp fall in onion prices.In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, MLA Patil, who is also the deputy chairman of the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (Mitra), highlighted the severe financial distress faced by onion growers due to unseasonal rainfall, rising temperatures, storms and declining market rates."Maharashtra, the country's largest onion-producing state, contributes nearly 35-40% of India's total output, producing around 12-13 million tonnes annually. Excess production combined with weak demand has led to oversupply, causing a sharp drop in prices," Patil said.In the letter, Patil stated that onion prices ranged between Rs 550 and Rs 1,450 per quintal, which he described as economically unviable given the costs of cultivation, storage, transport and labour. The situation has been further aggravated by damage to stored onions due to heat and untimely rainfall, he stated in the letter.Calling for long-term measures beyond immediate subsidies, Patil proposed encouraging farmers in high-production regions to shift towards bio-energy crops like Napier grass under the Maharashtra Compressed Biogas (CBG) Policy 2026. According to him, Napier grass offers multiple annual harvests and can provide more stable and higher returns. It can also be used for compressed biogas production as well as cattle fodder.He also suggested developing a contract farming model linked to CBG projects to ensure assured market access, reduce surplus onion production, and help stabilise prices. Patil finally urged state govt to announce immediate subsidies for onion growers and introduce training, financial assistance and contract farming support for farmers willing to adopt alternative bio-energy crops.