Onion Price Falls to Rs4/kg, Brings Tears to Farmers

Hyderabad: Onions, the most essential kitchen ingredient at almost every household, bring tears to those who cut them;sometimes, to people who can't buy them because of sudden spike in price and even governments which cannot control the price hike. This time, onion is bringing tears to its farmers - as the prices have fallen to as low as Rs4 per kg in Hyderabad this week.

With the onion price skyrocketing last year, touching even Rs70/kg, most farmers in Telangana have cultivated onion crop this season. As they brought the yield to the market, the price has fallen down so drastically that farmers are now regretting their choice. "We spent around Rs40,000 to Rs45,000 per acre for the crop. But we are not even getting Rs50,000 per quintal. We are left with no choice but to dump our product even for that price as we can't store it for a future market," farmers said at a city market.

"Government should come to our rescue and build godowns so that we can sell our produce at a later date for a better price," said a farmer. Even if the dealers buy onions for a cheaper price, they will sell it for a higher price in the retail markets and ultimately, neither farmers nor cunsumers are going to benefit from the improved supply.