Nashik: Bharat Dighole, Founder President of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers’ Association, today made a historic announcement at a press conference held in Sinnar, Nashik district, regarding the construction of the world’s first and largest “National Onion Bhavan.”
The National Onion Bhavan will initially be established on a two-acre site at Jaigaon in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district. The project will be expanded in the future as per requirements. The estimated cost of the first phase is around ₹5 crore, which will be raised through contributions from farmers.
Speaking on the occasion, Dighole said that until now onion farming has remained uncertain and debt-ridden. However, after the construction of the National Onion Bhavan, onion cultivation will become reliable, sustainable, profitable, and secure.
Despite India being one of the world’s leading onion-producing countries, decisions related to onion imports, export restrictions, NAFED and NCCF buffer stocks, and price control have so far been taken without taking farmers into confidence. After the establishment of the National Onion Bhavan, all such decisions will be taken under the leadership of farmers and in the interest of farmers, Dighole clarified.
Activities such as onion seed research and quality control, plant nutrition, scientific planning of fertilizers and pesticides after plantation, collective procurement to reduce production costs, and complete crop monitoring will be carried out through the National Onion Bhavan at minimal cost and in a collective manner. To ensure effective implementation of these principles, onion trade transactions in all market committees across the state and the country will be regulated through the National Onion Bhavan, it was stated.
Dighole assured that no farmer will be financially cheated, exploited, or looted, and that farmers’ participation in the decision-making process will be paramount. A farmer-to-consumer direct onion sale system will be established. Through the National Onion Bhavan, a direct marketing system from farmers to domestic and international consumers will be developed, significantly reducing the existing long chain of intermediaries and middlemen. This will ensure sustainable profits for farmers and affordable, stable onion prices for consumers.
The National Onion Bhavan will also provide residential and dining facilities, meeting and conference halls, internet access, computers, laptops, and onion testing laboratories, along with all modern amenities for farmers, traders, exporters, officials, journalists, policymakers, and experts from the onion sector visiting from across the state, the country, and abroad.
Dighole further stated that if the state or central government formulates policies against the interests of farmers, the National Onion Bhavan will not remain silent. Along with dialogue, struggle and agitation will also be undertaken if required. He emphasised that the construction of the National Onion Bhavan will transform onion farming from a debt-ridden and uncertain activity into a trustworthy, profitable, and future-oriented agricultural enterprise.
