Onion farmers in Maharashtra claim losses over non-transparent procurement

Onion growers in Maharashtra are facing financial losses due to non-transparent procurement of the crop by a Central agency, an association representing farmers alleged on Saturday.

State Onion Growers' Association president Bharat Dighole said farmers are compelled to stage protests even during festivals and demanded that the government should either ensure fair procurement or stop NAFED's onion purchases.

A farmer from Nashik district staged a unique protest against NAFED on the occasion of the Pola festival with his bullocks.

Pola is a thanksgiving festival celebrated by farmers to acknowledge the importance of bulls and oxen, who are a crucial part of agriculture.

"For several years, NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) has been procuring onions for buffer stock. However, farmers allege that large-scale financial irregularities occur in this process, depriving them of fair prices and causing losses worth crores of rupees annually," Dighole stated in a release.

The key demands of agriculturists include transparency in the procurement of onions and setting up a mechanism to guarantee fair and assured prices.

The farmer, Tatyasaheb Pawar, staged a demonstration with "NAFED go back" painted on his bullocks at Dhavaleshwar in Malegaon tehsil.

He said the move was aimed at highlighting the plight of onion growers who suffer heavy losses due to alleged corruption and lack of transparency in buffer stock procurement.

"Onion farmers are demanding a transparent purchase system, guaranteed fair prices, strict action against irregularities, and a clear policy from the Centre and state to ensure remunerative rates," Pawar told reporters.