Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The sharp fall in onion prices has once again exposed the financial distress faced by farmers in Maharashtra. In a shocking incident from Paithan taluka in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, a farmer who brought 12 quintals of onions to the market received no earnings from the sale and instead had to pay Rs 1 as APMC charges from his own pocket.
The farmer has been identified as Prakash Galdhar, a resident of Varudi village in Paithan taluka. He had taken his onion produce to the Paithan Agricultural Produce Market Committee, hoping to get a fair price after months of hard work. However, the poor market rates left him with zero profit.
Onion Growers Are Facing Severe Losses…
According to local farmers, onion growers are facing severe losses as market prices have dropped drastically in recent weeks. Farmers say they are unable to recover even the basic cultivation cost despite spending heavily on seeds, fertilisers, labour, irrigation and transportation.
The incident involving Galdhar has become a symbol of the worsening condition of onion farmers in the region. After the auction process, he reportedly received no financial return for his produce and had to pay ₹1 as market fees from his pocket.
Farmers in the area said onion cultivation requires an investment of around ₹70,000 to ₹80,000 per acre. Despite this, falling prices have made it difficult for growers to survive financially. Many farmers depend on crop earnings for their children’s education, marriages and household expenses.
Galdhar’s Struggles…
Galdhar, who has two children, said he is struggling to provide quality education for them due to the poor returns from farming. The receipt he received after selling his onions reflected zero earnings and an additional ₹1 payable towards APMC charges.
Residents said Varudi village alone has nearly 300 onion-growing farmers and produces around 30,000 quintals of onions. However, the ongoing price crash has left most farmers unable to recover their production costs.
Former MP Imtiyaaz Jaleel also raised the issue and criticised the government over the condition of onion growers. In a social media post, he said farmers are not receiving proper returns for their produce and urged authorities to focus on the real problems faced by cultivators.
