Onions Sold at ₹100 for 45 kg in Kurnool

Speedy Summary

• Teh district administration in Kurnool started selling onion bags (45 kg each) at ₹100 at the market yard on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
• This follows the State government’s decision to cease government procurement of onions from farmers starting Monday,September 22,2025. Farmers may now sell their produce directly to traders.
• Government intervention was prompted by significant crop damage due to rains and low remunerative prices for farmers earlier in the season.
• The government had previously procured onions through Markfed and Civil Supplies Department at ₹12 per kilo and distributed them via various channels such as ration shops, schools, and rythu bazaars.
• A total of 6,000 tonnes were procured; of this, 1,900 tonnes remain unsold. To minimize losses for the government, these are being sold at heavily discounted rates.
• District Collector A. Siri announced that four counters were set up for sales at the market yard.Over 130 bags were sold on Sunday evening with police deployed for crowd control.
• Onion cultivation covered nearly 42,000 acres this year; however:

– Rains caused significant crop damage,
– Higher yield from Maharashtra reduced demand,
– Stopped exports to Bangladesh also contributed to lower demand.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The sale of onions in Kurnool highlights a reactive approach taken by local authorities amid challenging agricultural conditions. While government intervention provided temporary relief through financial compensation (₹50,000 per hectare) and assured purchasing mechanisms like PDS distribution channels earlier this season, ceasing direct purchases likely places more immediate pressure back on farmers.

The discount sale strategy is motivated by minimizing further losses while managing surplus stocks left behind from procurement drives. Though, adverse weather conditions combined with external factors like increased competition from Maharashtra’s harvests and halted exports suggest broader systemic concerns around market stability that need long-term attention.This incident underscores a recurring dual challenge for indian agriculture: ensuring fair farmer remuneration while managing surplus effectively during crises such as overproduction or localized natural disasters. systematic planning perhaps centered around improving storage infrastructure or diversified market access may better address these uncertainties moving forward.

read More: Source Link