Sumana Das, Pune
Delayed monsoons and high temperatures have resulted in crop shortages and subsequent surges in onion prices in wholesale markets.
From the beginning of 2023, prices have oscillated between Rs. 900-1,000 per Quintal much to farmer’s concern. Agricultural corporations such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) have come forward to obtain around 3 lakh tonnes of the crop
On Thursday, Lasalgaon Wholesale Market Nashik District registered an average traded price of Rs. 1860 per Quintal. Known as the largest onion market in the country, this place has seen a constant hike in prices from the very start of the month. But on the other side, it has come as a wave of relief for the farmers who have been stressed by the low prices.
One of the commissioning agents in the Dindori wholesale market from Nashik Suresh Deshmukh said to the Indian Express that the limited stock of onions caused the price surge. According to his estimation, around 40 per cent of the onions were lost while in storage which accelerated the price drop in the last few months.
President of the Onion Growers Association, Bharat Dighole said that the price range will increase more. The traders are assuming that the price hike will remain high for quite some time now. The range may go between Rs. 2,000-2,200 per Quintal if the production remains less. However, Dighole thinks that the current price range is not proficient for the farmers as they have faced severe storage losses.
Delayed sowing of the Kharif crop due to the unpredictable rain schedule has also worsened the crop situation in Maharashtra. Kharif crops are usually sown in the months of June-July and harvested post-October. As per the reports of the Minutes of Meeting of Crop Weather Watch Group report dated 7 August, only about 0.68 lakh hectares of Kharif have been sown compared to the figures of 0.79 lakh hectares in the same of the previous year. As in result, most of the onion consumer joints have observed a rise in the price by Rs. 5 to 6 per kg in the last five months.