Paithan farmer sells onions for Re 1/kg, handed bill of -Re 1 after deductions

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A Paithan farmer's onion sale receipt has once aging put the spotlight on the deepening agrarian distress in Maharashtra.Prakash Galadhar, a 45-year-old farmer from Varudi in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's Paithan taluka, sold 25 sacks of onions at the Paithan APMC, only to realise a total value of Rs 1,262, amounting to Re 1 per kg. After deductions for transport, weighing, storage and other charges, he was left with nothing, and was instead asked to pay Re 1."I tried to sell onions cultivated on four acres on May 3. After getting very poor prices, I threw away the rest of the produce with a very heavy heart," Galadhar said.His Re 1 bill has since spread on social media and has become a stark symbol of the onion crisis gripping the region, where falling prices have rendered cultivation economically unviable for many farmers already burdened with debt.Galadhar said the losses have compounded his financial struggles. "I got my daughter married off a couple of years ago and still have to repay money to different people. The onion crisis has left me dejected," he said.Traders attribute the crash partly to quality issues and oversupply. Ibrahim Bagwan, a licensed trader at Paithan APMC, said, "Before making a deal, we had told him that he was not going to gain anything. Despite that, Galadhar insisted on selling his onions with the hope of getting some govt help later." He added that better-quality onions are currently fetching Rs 400-800 per 100 kg.Market officials, however, acknowledge a broader systemic issue. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar APMC chairman Radhakisan Pathade said, "There is a big mismatch between demand and supply of onions, with huge quantities of produce arriving in local markets. The current purchase and export policies of govt need to be modified to address the issue."He noted that average prices have dropped to around Rs 400 per 100 kg, far below the viable level."The farmers should get at least Rs 1,200 per 100 kg if not more. However, the skewed ratio between demand and supply is offering throwaway prices," Pathade said.Politicians have also weighed in, criticising govt's response. "Govt does nothing but make announcements. Today, the onion-growing farmers are utterly distraught. Govt must provide farmers with a guaranteed support price. If the crisis continues, no farmer will yield onion crops," said Kalyan Kale, the Congress MP from Jalna.State agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne could not be reached for his comments.