Onion farmers content as prices up ahead of Maharashtra polls
In Nashik’s wholesale markets, onion prices have climbed from ₹40 last month to ₹60 per kg on Friday, providing a boost for farmers. In contrast, soybean prices have dropped below the Minimum Support Price, falling to as low as ₹3,000 per quintal across Maharashtra
During the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced backlash from onion farmers over low prices, resulting in a loss of 12 seats across Maharashtra’s onion-growing regions. This time, onion prices have risen, bringing relief to farmers; however, falling soybean and cotton prices are causing concern for the ruling Maha Yuti alliance as the state heads to polls on November 20.
In Nashik’s wholesale markets, onion prices have climbed from ₹40 last month to ₹60 per kg on Friday, providing a boost for farmers. In contrast, soybean prices have dropped below the Minimum Support Price, falling to as low as ₹3,000 per quintal across Maharashtra. The recent easing of onion export restrictions has also given farmers hope for better earnings.
Nashik, India’s largest onion-producing district, hosts the Lasalgaon wholesale market, the country’s biggest for onions. Farmers are currently earning over ₹6,000 per quintal for their summer crop, with prices expected to stay high until new stock arrives.
“For the last two weeks, onion prices have been good. After Diwali, I got ₹6,200 per quintal for my onions,” said Rupesh Sawant, a farmer from Nampur in Nashik district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rally on Friday at Nashik referred to the onion issue saying, “Nashik district is a major producer of onion. The Center has made various changes for export policies which are benefiting the onion farmers.”
On the Soyabean issue, earlier, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had announced that “Soyabean and cotton would get purchased more than minimum support price.”
While the onion issue dominated last year’s Lok Sabha elections, soybean prices are now emerging as a contentious topic. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has seized the opportunity to target the Maha Yuti government over soybean prices, which affect more farmers than onions across Marathwada, Vidarbha, Nashik, Jalgaon, and Kolhapur.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and MLA Rohit Pawar criticized the government, saying, “Due to misguided export policies, soybean prices have fallen to ₹3,000 per quintal. Who is responsible for the low prices of soybean and cotton?” He pointed out that current rates have dropped compared to the prices under the previous Congress government.
“Soybean and cotton farmers received better prices under the Congress government, but now, due to wrong export policies, we are struggling with low rates,” said Sunil Chavan, a farmer from Jalgaon. “If onion farmers taught the government a lesson in the last election, this time it will be soybean farmers who express their anger.”
Echoing Chavan’s frustration, another farmer, Santosh Buttepatil, said, “The government claims that soybean prices are good, but the ground reality is different. Prices have fallen to ₹3,200 or even ₹3,000. Unfortunately, the media isn’t giving us the same attention as it did for onions.”
Anticipating that the issue could turn political, the central government announced last week it would procure 13 lakh metric tonnes of soybean from the market to stabilise prices.