Onion farmers upset over exclusion from price-meeting with Maharashtra minister
Onion farmers in Maharashtra are frustrated after being excluded from an important government meeting about crashing onion prices.
The meeting—held by Agriculture Minister Dattatray Vithoba Bharne—only included officials, and farmers say they found out about it through a Facebook post.
Bharat Dighole, who leads the Onion Growers Association, called out political parties for ignoring their struggles.
Farmers protest against price drop, demand government intervention
Farmers have been protesting against the drop in onion prices and demanding a seat at the table.
They're facing big losses as onion prices have dropped to ₹1,200-1,300 per quintal—way below their production cost of ₹2,000.
The price crash is blamed on too many onions in the market and the central government releasing extra stock.
Despite talk of new policies to help stabilize prices, farmers feel like their voices aren't being heard.