With auctions at key market committees remaining closed for the past eight days, onion farmers are grappling with significant financial losses due to unresolved issues. In response, farmer organizations have stepped in to address the crisis, initiating onion sale centers in Baglan taluka and beyond the Lasalgaon market premises.
The decision to start these onion sales centers comes as a relief to farmers who have been adversely affected by the ongoing market closures. Despite the complexities surrounding the onion market, the response to these centers has been encouraging, with farmers showing keen interest in participating.
At the Baglan taluka onion auction center, approximately 150 vehicles arrived for the morning session on Wednesday, bringing in around 4,500 quintals of onions. Prices at this center ranged from ₹1000 to ₹1400 per quintal. Similarly, outside the Lasalgaon Market Committee, where an onion sale center was established yesterday, 200 vehicles participated in the morning auction, fetching prices averaging between ₹1000 to ₹1500 per quintal.
Arjun Borade of the Farmers Association emphasized the urgency of selling onions amidst ongoing harvesting activities and rising expenses. With market committees closed, farmers were left with no viable option for auctioning their produce, prompting the establishment of these sales centers across various regions including Baglan, Saykheda, Vani, Dindori, and Satana.
