Onion farmers of North Karnataka in distress after prices drop sharply

BALLARI: Farmers who had cultivated onions are in dire straits with no renumerative prices for their produce. They are forced to seek loans to keep afloat and are demanding immediate intervention of the government.

Farmers of Uttangi village in Hoovina Hadagali taluk of Vijayanagar district pointed out that onions which were selling at Rs 2,500-3,000 per quintal till last month has now witnessed a sharp drop in prices to Rs 1,500 per quintal. Farmers in Ballari and Vijayanagar district have cultivated onion on about 35,000 hectares.

With no renumerative prices, the farmers have not harvested the crop as they are apprehensive of recovering the cost after paying for labour and transporting it to the markets. They have demanded that the state and central governments should intervene and rescue onion farmers from distress.