Onion prices fall 86%; poor farmers say they'll make Modi pay in 2019 polls

Steep drops in recent weeks in the prices of onions and potatoes, both staple foods for India's 1.3 billion people, have badly hit the rural economy in large states

India importing onion, despite export rising 56% in April-July

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Last week, the government allowed state-owned agencies such as MMTC to import onion to increase availability and cool retail prices

Rajendra Jadhav and Mayank Bhardwaj | Reuters

Last Updated : Dec 28 2018 | 10:49 AM IST

A spike in the price of onions has led to the ouster of governments in Indian elections in the past. Now, prices of the staple have collapsed, and many impoverished farmers are saying they will make Prime Minister Narendra Modi pay in next year's general election.

Steep drops in recent weeks in the prices of onions and potatoes, both staple foods for India's 1.3 billion people, have badly hit the rural economy in large states.

In interviews with dozens of farmers last week, Reuters reporters found resentment welling against Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not helping support incomes in