Madhya Pradesh Farmers Hold 'Funeral' For Onions As Prices Crash

Madhya Pradesh's onion farmers are in distress as prices have plummeted to ₹1-₹2 per kilogram in local mandis, sparking widespread protests and demands for government intervention. The drastic fall in prices has left farmers unable to recover even their basic production costs, leading to extreme measures such as destroying crops and staging symbolic protests.

Across key onion-producing districts like Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch, farmers are reporting that the market price of onions is so low that it does not even cover transportation and labor costs. Babbu Malvi, a farmer from Panth Piploda in Mandsaur, revealed that he could not recover the cost of seeds and fertilizers, despite growing 6-7 quintals of onions per bigha. Many farmers are burdened with debt from investments in fertilizers, irrigation and fuel, and the price crash has made it impossible for them to repay loans or support their families.

The situation has become so dire that some farmers are choosing to feed their onions to livestock rather than sell them at a loss. Bhopal Singh Sisodia from Barkheda village stated that he had to sell seven quintals of onions for just ₹1.70 per kg at the Mandsaur mandi, leaving him with nothing after paying for labor and transport. Farmers are calling the current prices the worst in over a decade, fearing insolvency if the government does not provide assistance.

The price crash is attributed to overproduction and a lack of effective government procurement mechanisms in Madhya Pradesh. Bumper harvests have flooded the markets, while the absence of price stabilization measures has left farmers vulnerable to market fluctuations. The Joint Farmers' Association has described the situation as financially unviable, noting that farmers cannot recover basic costs, let alone generate any income.

In response to the crisis, farmer unions are demanding immediate relief measures from the Madhya Pradesh government and the Union Agriculture Ministry. Their demands include the announcement of a minimum support price (MSP) for onions, compensation for farmers selling below cost, subsidized transport and storage facilities to prevent distress sales, and export promotion to absorb surplus production. Specifically, farmers are appealing for the implementation of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹24 per kilogram for onions.

The state government has acknowledged the issue and promised to take corrective measures to stabilize prices and protect farmers' interests. Divisional Commissioner Aashish Singh inspected the Shajapur agricultural produce market and assured farmers that the administration would act to ensure fair pricing and address any irregularities in the procurement process.

The crisis has also taken a political turn, with the Congress Party accusing the Modi government and state leadership of neglecting the plight of farmers. The wide gap between wholesale and retail rates, where consumers in urban markets pay ₹25 to ₹30 per kg while farmers receive a pittance, has sparked debate over the role of middlemen and inefficiencies in the supply chain.

In Khandwa district, thousands of farmers mobilized, threatening a railway blockade to protest the plummeting onion prices. The Independent Farmers' Movement organized a massive dharna, demanding the central government lift the onion export ban and procure onions at ₹24 per kg, similar to Maharashtra's approach.

The ongoing crisis highlights the vulnerability of onion farmers in Madhya Pradesh and the urgent need for government intervention to stabilize prices, improve storage facilities, and ensure fair returns for their produce.