From Plate to Plough: Onion tears and how to wipe them

Onion farmers have suffered even in a bumper crop year. Needed: Scientific storage facilities, a judicious trade policy.

Written by Ashok Gulati , Siraj Hussain | Updated: November 20, 2017 9:32 am

Maharashtra Onion farmers, Onion prices, Onion wholesale prices, Onion farmers, kharif crops, farmers storage facilities, onion storage facilities, indian express

One of the prime reasons behind high volatility in onion prices stems from a lack of storage facilities that have not kept pace with rising production. (File Photo)

Onions are, once again, in the news. Last week, retail prices touched Rs 50/kg in several markets, and wholesale prices touched Rs 30/kg in major onion markets like Lasalgaon in Maharashtra. This is not the first time that onion prices have spiked. Almost every alternate year, this roller-coaster of boom and bust in onion prices happens (see Graph). But 2017 is interesting as it saw record low prices in May-June when farmers sold onions at around Rs 2/kg in several mandis in Madhya Pradesh. This has led to grief and anger among farmers.