Maharashtra's Onion Farmers Reel Under Rain Havoc, Seek ₹1 Lakh/Acre Aid From Government

Mumbai: Unseasonal and heavy rainfall in May has wreaked havoc on onion farmers across Maharashtra, the country’s top onion-producing state. The Maharashtra Rajya Kanda Utpadak Sanghatna has raised an alarm over the massive crop losses and sought urgent government intervention to support distressed farmers.

In a letter dated May 29 to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the growers’ association highlighted that excessive rainfall since May 6 has caused large-scale destruction of the Rabi onion crop, which was nearing harvest. The association has demanded a compensation of ₹1 lakh per acre for affected farmers, noting that many have lost their entire crop.

Crop Losses Run into Crores

Districts like Nashik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Pune, Sangli, Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Solapur, Buldhana, and Jalna—known for their significant onion cultivation—were among the worst affected. According to the letter signed by Bharat Dighole, president of the state onion growers' body, and Jaydeep Bhadane, its Nashik district chief, continuous downpours led to widespread rotting of onions either in the fields or during post-harvest handling.

“Thousands of tons of onions have been destroyed. The total losses run into crores,” the association claimed, urging the state to deploy teams for a fair and quick damage assessment.

Procurement, Price Support Urged

Alongside compensation, the Sanghatna has pushed for reforms in onion procurement to ensure fair prices. It demanded that NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation purchase at least 3 lakh tons of onions directly from farmers through Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), at a minimum support price of ₹3,000 per quintal.

The association also proposed a subsidy of ₹2,000 per quintal for those forced to sell rain-affected onions at distress prices due to lack of storage facilities. It called for full transparency in NAFED’s operations to ensure that procurement benefits reach small and marginal farmers.

Call for Immediate Relief

This is not the first time onion growers in Maharashtra have suffered due to weather disruptions and volatile markets. The association has urged the state government to act promptly to prevent farmer suicides and further rural economic distress. “We request immediate action to prevent this from becoming a full-blown agrarian crisis,” the letter concluded.

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