Farmers in Kadapa, India, are encountering significant financial distress due to the absence of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for onions. The highly volatile prices, which can surge or plummet unpredictably, have rendered them economically vulnerable. Over the months of May and June, onions were cultivated on more than 2,023 hectares across the constituencies of Mydukuru, Jammalamadugu, Pulivendula, and Kamalapuram.
The late May sowing resulted in a bountiful harvest, with market prices reaching between approximately $37 and $43 per quintal (100 kg), enabling farmers to recover their investments and secure a profit. However, the optimism was short-lived as the late June planting was adversely affected by rainfall, causing prices to fall to around $12 per quintal. In response, the farmers have called on the government for immediate intervention and have suggested that discussions with the Centre to remove the ban on international exports could be beneficial. They propose that government procurement of onions at about $31 per quintal could alleviate the financial strain they are currently facing.
Source: The New Indian Express