PUNE: Sudam Ingle, a farmer from Purandar, spent round Rs 66,000 on his onion crop this season. The incessant rains broken most of his yield, however he managed to salvage a portion and spent one other Rs 1,500 to pack and transport it to the Purandar market yard on the market on Friday. To his shock, Ingle obtained simply Rs 664 for 7.5 quintals of onions.“This was from one acre of land. I nonetheless have onions from one other 1.5 acres, however I received't promote them; I'll run a rotor and switch them into fertiliser for subsequent yr. That's extra worthwhile than promoting,” he mentioned. “I'm nonetheless a comparatively massive farmer. I don't know the way smaller farmers with only one or two acres, lots of whom have taken loans, will survive. If the government doesn't step in, farmer suicides will improve.”Ingle's story is echoed throughout Maharashtra's farmlands, the place relentless rains and collapsing costs have left farmers struggling to outlive. From onions, tomatoes, potatoes to pomegranates, custard apples, to soyabean, virtually each crop has taken successful this season.With no cash in hand, farmers don't have any buying energy, immediately affecting rural markets that flourish throughout Diwali. “This yr, Diwali is being celebrated solely in cities. In villages, there's no cash to purchase even a diya,” mentioned an APMC member from Nashik.
Onions rot, markets stagnate
In Lasalgaon APMC, Asia's largest onion market, costs vary from Rs 500 to Rs 1,400 per quintal, with the typical steady at Rs 1,050 (Rs 10.50/kg) for the previous week earlier than it closed for Diwali. An APMC member mentioned, “This summer time (March–April), we noticed a bumper onion crop. The shelf life is round seven months, so many farmers who didn't promote then, hoping for greater costs, saved it and are promoting now. The brand new crops confronted the wrath of rains as 80% of the onion crop within the Nashik area is broken. Even the salvaged inventory is of poor high quality and promoting for very low costs.”Ingle mentioned farmers spend closely proper from making ready fields, shopping for saplings, sowing, spraying pesticides, watering, weeding, harvesting, packing, and transporting the crop to market. “My 393 kg of onion was bought at Rs 3 per kg, 202 kg at Rs 2 per kg, and 146 kg at Rs 10 per kg, relying on the injury. Loading, unloading, weighing, and transport price Rs 1,065. So the web quantity I bought after deducting that from Rs 1,729 was Rs 664,” mentioned Ingle flatly, including, “Being a farmer means a lifetime of struggles.”
‘Higher to destroy crops than promote'
Manikrao Zende, who farms custard apple, pomegranate, and onions in Purandar, incurred vital losses this yr. “Trying on the market charge, I ran a rotor by way of my onion crop which is able to a minimum of assist fertilise the sector as a result of promoting it'll improve my losses. I invested Rs 1.5 lakh within the pomegranate farm this yr, however as a consequence of continuous rains, the vegetation turned black, forcing me to discard them. The identical occurred with the five hundred custard apple saplings I planted. It price me round Rs 1 lakh, however the rains ruined them, and I needed to promote them for Rs 50,000,” mentioned Zende.
‘The day farmers get truthful costs, crime will come down'
Zende blamed the government for ignoring the plight of farmers, alleging that the administration is but to conduct a panchnama of his fields regardless of the destruction brought on by rains. He additionally linked the rise in crime throughout the state to the rising misery in farming. “When farmer households wouldn't have cash, their youngsters don't have any work. Some migrate to cities, however some keep again. The youth has no cash, no job, and felony components simply appeal to this crowd. This is the reason now we have such a surge in felony exercise among the many youth. The day farmers get work and a good worth for his or her produce, crime will come down,” he mentioned.
Produce from different states, inventory coming to market
The common worth of tomatoes within the Pimpalgaon Baswant APMC stands at Rs 1,100 per crate (20 kg). Manik Gore, a commissioning agent on the Chakan APMC and a farmer himself, mentioned that whereas he often skips the Could–October season, this yr he sowed soyabean on one acre of land. However nothing survived the rains. “My enter price was Rs 20,000, utterly gone. The onion coming to market is spoiled as a consequence of rain. If a farmer brings 50 kg, solely 10 kg or much less will get a good worth, and the remainder is bought at Rs 2–3 per kg. Onion and potatoes from different states like UP and Gujarat are flooding the markets. Good-quality potatoes promote at Rs 10–15 per kg, however the enter price per acre is round Rs 40,000. Contemplating that, no matter we're getting now could be nothing. Farmers round Pune are nonetheless higher off, however 80–100 km away, their state of affairs is heartbreaking,” mentioned Gore.
Poor govt insurance policies blamed
Gore mentioned poor govt insurance policies have worsened the onion disaster. “Onion was getting good costs, however India banned exports in 2023. Different international locations swooped in on our market share, and when the ban was lastly lifted, we misplaced our shoppers within the worldwide market. If the government can ban exports when costs rise, ought to they not purchase onions at a superb worth when the market crashes? That by no means occurs. Farming means a lifetime of struggling,” he mentioned.
Soyabean, outdated inventory of toor, chana additionally hit
In accordance with Ramesh Suryavanshi, a dealer at Latur APMC for soyabean, one of many greatest in India, 50% of the soyabean crop within the area was broken as a consequence of rains. “The common worth of fine soyabean (12-2-2 which suggests most 12% moisture, 2% impurities (overseas matter), and a pair of% broken kernels) is between Rs 4,100 to Rs 4,250. However the ones destroyed by moisture are promoting for as little as Rs 2,000- Rs 3,000 per quintal which doesn't even cowl half of the enter price in rising the crop,” mentioned Suryavanshi including that farmers are hoping procurement centres will open quickly.Even the farmers and merchants who stored the outdated inventory in hopes to promote it when the markets enhance are pressured to promote at low costs. “The charges for soyabean haven't improved for 2 years now and even the charges of chana and toor dal are poor. Good high quality chana is being bought at Rs 5,400-Rs 5,500 however the broken ones are promoting at Rs 3,000. Similar with toor dal which is promoting most at Rs 6,800. Farmers can't even purchase the naked minimal for Diwali. And since farmers misplaced their buying energy, different Diwali companies are additionally affected. The general state of affairs is gloomy,” mentioned Suryavanshi.
