Karnataka - Hubli   

Price crash causing concern among onion growers

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI, SEPT. 29. The crash in the price of onions in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee, Hubli, has caused concern among the growers.

This month saw the prices of three varieties of onions, the Teligi, the Pune and the local crashing.

For the Teligi onion (named after a place in Bijapur), the minimum rates have come down from Rs. 450 to Rs. 300.

In the case of the Pune onion, the prices, which were between Rs. 400 and Rs. 600, have come down to Rs. 250 to Rs. 450, while the price of the local variety has declined from Rs. 200 to Rs. 400 a quintal to Rs. 50 to Rs. 200 a quintal. According to sources in the market committee, the local variety accounts for 90 per cent of the arrivals in the market, with more than 27,000 quintals having been brought to the market up to the middle of the last week of September.

The steep price variation for the local variety has hit the farmers most. The minimum price of the local variety, which stood at Rs. 200 a quintal at the beginning of the month, dipped to Rs. 100. Though it (price) showed signs of a recovery in the middle of the month, it (onion) is now being quoted at Rs. 50 a quintal.

According to information available, the Hubli market has been receiving onions from Nargund, Navalgund, Haveri, Gadag and the arrivals are expected to go up in the days to come. With onion grown in rain-fed conditions expected to arrive in December and January, the prevailing price is causing worry among growers.

The only consolation is the possibility of more number of buyers turning up for the Dasara festival.

What has added to the plight of farmers is that the crop has been good this time. It was free from pests and diseases.

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