In Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, farmers, angry over the huge fall in onion prices, performed the ‘last rites’ of onions demanding removal of 25% export duty. Farmers say that due to falling prices and rising costs, farming has become a loss-making deal.
Mandsaur. Onion prices have fallen so much in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh that the patience of farmers is now breaking, The situation became such that farmers protested by ‘cremating’ their onions, The farmers of Dhamnar village decorated the onion bier with drums and carried it to the cremation ground and performed its symbolic last rites, Seeing this scene, only one question came to everyone’s mind that why did the farmers become so helpless that they declared their hard-earned crops ‘dead’? ,
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Farmers expressed their pain
Farmers say that for the past several months, the price of onion in the markets has come down to Rs 1 to Rs 2 per kg, while its production cost is Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg. Forget about covering the cost, we are not even able to save the fare for bringing it from the farm to the market. What should farmers do in such a situation? This helplessness forced him to carry the onion bier. They allege that the 25% export duty imposed on onion by the Central Government has made Indian onion useless in foreign markets. The situation is as if exports have stopped, the warehouses are full of onions and the prices in the markets have fallen into the abyss.
Did 25% export duty really ‘kill’ farmers’ onions?
Farmers claim that ever since 25 percent export duty has been imposed, the demand for Indian onions abroad has almost ended. When exports stopped, goods got stuck in the country. Result: Market prices fell and farmers suffered huge losses. Many farmers said that they were forced to sell their entire crop at a price lower than its cost. In this unique demonstration held in Dhamnar village, farmers carried the onion bier decorated with flowers, drums played, the band played and the entire village witnessed this symbolic ‘last rites’. There was both anger and helplessness on his face.
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When the price becomes ₹1-₹2 per kg, how will farmers run their households?
Malwa-Nimar region is the biggest onion producing region of the country. But when the prices in the markets fall so much that farmers cannot even get diesel for their tractors, then farming becomes a loss-making deal for them. Many farmers said other crops were ruined by the rains and now the onion also ‘died’, so they cremated it. Farmer Badri Lal Dhakad raised the question – “If even the cost is not covered, then where should we go? When will the government wake up?”
Will the government buy onion at support price? What is the administration saying?
Tehsildar Rohit Singh Rajput reached the spot and listened to the demands of the farmers. He said that the farmers have given a memorandum and it will be sent to the government through the Collector. The main demand of the farmers is that the government should buy onions at support price so that their costs can be minimized.
Is ‘Funeral’ just the beginning? How much can the movement grow?
Mandsaur, which has been in the news for farmer movements before, is now boiling again. Farmers have warned that if export duty is not removed soon and prices are not increased, this ‘funeral’ is just the beginning. A big movement will be launched in the entire area.