Maharashtra govt rubs salt on onion farmers wounds’, says crop was “not good”

Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee officials have criticised the report submitted to the Maharashtra government on the earnings from the sale of onions and they have called it false. The district deputy registrar has said that his onions were of "medium to low quality" and "blackish" in colour.

Authorities of the market committee said the report was "false" as no official of the district deputy registrar office had met them regarding the farmer's case.

Sanjay Sathe, a farmer from Niphad tehsil of Nashik district, had sent ₹1,064, his earnings from onion sale in the wholesale market, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 29 as a protest.

Following that, the PMO had sought a report from the authorities to know the ground reality and to verify Sathe's claims of getting Rs 1.41 per kg rate in wholesale market.

Lasalgaon APMC is the centre some tehsils, including Niphad, of Nashik district.

Accordingly, the office of Nashik district deputy registrar of the state cooperation department prepared the report, which said, "Lasalgaon APMC has clarified that Sanjay Sathe's onions were of medium to low quality and blackish in colour."

"The onion he had sold was harvested in summer and fetched ₹151 per quintal rate," it added.

When contacted, Jaydutt Holkar, chairman of Lasalgaon APMC, however, said the report contained "false" information. "No official of DDR ever met me or my office regarding Sathe's case. His onion was certainly not blackish in colour. Onions being blackish in colour indicate low quality of produce," he said.

"I cannot say how the DDR made such false statements in its report. It seems they do not want to tell the ground reality to the prime minister," he said.

When asked about the onion wholesale market, Holkar said, "It is not about a farmer who earned very little. Every farmer, irrespective of the quality of their onions, is getting lower rates due to the increased supply to the markets in our region."