August 29, 2025

Big trouble for Maharashtra’s onion farmers! Reports from Nashik show a shocking 20% of stored onions have rotted already. Imagine all that hard work going waste! Right now, farmers are selling onions at just ₹1,263 per tonne. That’s a massive drop from ₹3,078 per tonne they earned in August 2024—almost 60% less. This price crash leaves farmers struggling to even pay for their costs. The Maharashtra State Onion Producer Farmers’ Organisation has raised a loud alarm, blaming the government for deliberately keeping onion prices low. Why? To appear good to voters before the upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra and the assembly elections in Bihar. Bharat Dighole, the organisation's president, said, “These moves may help consumers in the short term, but they are disastrous for farmers who have already invested heavily in onion cultivation. We are preparing to launch protests against the government’s anti-farmer stance.” Dighole also slammed the government’s “inconsistent policies” that have shaken the onion market and made things worse for growers. Maharashtra produced about 163 lakh tonnes of summer onions last season, with Nashik providing nearly 80% of it. Since May, farmers have been selling their stored onions. But despite big arrivals in the market, nearly 40 lakh tonnes still lie in storage called chawls. Farmers hope prices will improve but waiting too long has caused huge spoilage. The onion crisis is not just about money. Nearly 20% of stored onions in Nashik have spoiled due to long storage. With such low prices, farmers can’t even recover their costs. Is there hope? Some farmers believe so. Heavy rains in Karnataka have ruined many onions there, which might mean less supply and better prices for Maharashtra onions soon. Meanwhile, farmer groups are gearing up for action. They plan to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and top officials from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). Their demand: fair prices and help to stop distress sales during the election rush. The onion saga is heating up, and farmers are ready to fight for their rights!

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Tags: Onion prices, Maharashtra farmers, Nashik onion spoilage, Government policy, Farmers protest, Election impact,