Farmers stop onion auction at Lasalgaon APMC

The farmers reportedly stopped auctions at Nashik’s Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) on Monday after getting a low wholesale price of onions,
This was followed by a protest of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers’ Association against the government. A farmer, who was also protesting at the site, said that they incur a cost of Rs 50,000 per acre to grow onions, while they earn only Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 for the produce sold at the auctions. He also said that it has come to the point that the farmers were considering suicide – a better option, adding that, the Modi government should extend a helping hand to the farmers.
Due to the gradual decline in onion prices, the farmers began their agitation at the Lasalgaon APMC resulting in the stoppage of the onion auctions. The organization demanded that the onions be sold at the right price. The sale of onions at the auction was stopped as they were being sold at prices as low as Rs 1/kg or Rs 2/kg. Due to the huge yield of the onion crop, its prices are falling down in other states as well
Notably, a few days ago Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) staged a chakka-jam on Shirdi-Surat Highway, citing the decline in onion price. During their strike, the farmers had thrown off onions and grapes on the ground to express their resentment against the government.
A similar protest was witnessed on Monday morning when the farmers’ association registered their anger against the governments in both State and Centre, and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd).
In a shocking incident in Solapur district, a 58-year-old onion farmer from Borgaon village had travelled a distance of 70 km to sell 512 kg onions at Solapur APMC. After the sale, to much surprise, he was handed over a cheque for Rs 2.