Why are Maharashtras onion farmers protesting? | Explained

Since September 12, hundreds of farmers from Maharashtra, India’s largest onion-producing State, have been holding a cellphone protest. The essential purpose for the agitation is the misery brought on by the autumn in market costs of onions. Farmers are demanding rapid authorities intervention and assist of ₹1,500 per quintal. Experts say the issue is systemic. Maharashtra has produced extra onions than wanted this yr, and the standard of saved Rabi onions has deteriorated, reducing market costs. They argue that the federal government should streamline onion exports, set up a uniform export coverage, construct belief amongst importers, and maintain discussions with key patrons to safe steady markets.

Why are farmers protesting?

At current, farmers say they earn solely ₹800 to ₹1,000 per quintal for his or her onions, whereas the manufacturing value stands at ₹2,200 to ₹2,500 per quintal. The Rabi onions saved by farmers within the hope of higher charges are deteriorating, forcing them to promote at even decrease costs. At the identical time, the federal government has launched its buffer inventory out there at cheaper costs, additional dragging down charges.

“NCCF and NAFED needs to be stopped from promoting their shares in cities throughout the nation,” one of many key calls for put forth by the Maharashtra State Onion Producer Farmers’ Organisation mentioned. National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF), a significant shopper cooperative in India; and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), the apex cooperative organisation for selling and creating the cooperative advertising and marketing of agricultural produce for the good thing about farmers, collectively procure, retailer and thereafter promote the onions out there as part of the Government of India’s value stabilisation coverage.

How is the onion value stabilisation coverage affecting the farmers?

India’s onion value stabilisation coverage focuses on sustaining a strategic buffer inventory underneath the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to handle value volatility. The authorities procures onions to construct this buffer, and during times of excessive costs or lean provide, they’re launched from the inventory into main consumption centres by means of shops and cell vans to make sure affordability for customers and stop hoarding.

However, at current, farmers are nonetheless sitting on the shares of Rabi onions and are attempting to promote them out there.

At a time when their produce is receiving a market value decrease than the manufacturing value, the costs are introduced down additional as a result of NAFED and NCCF shares. 

What options are farmers and specialists proposing?

According to authorities knowledge, 25.25 lakh tonnes of onions had been exported within the yr 2022-23, a major surge in comparison with earlier years. But inside two years, exports fell by greater than half — in 2024-25, solely 11.47 lakh tonnes had been exported. “There is an pressing want to revive competitiveness and safe India’s place in international onion markets. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had been the 2 essential importers of Indian onions. Today, each of them have appeared away from us. The authorities must have a steady export coverage. Any flip-flops result in a lack of credibility for the nation within the worldwide market,” an exporter who didn’t want to be named mentioned.

Farmers and exporters need the federal government to incentivise exports, as India is among the main growers of onions on the earth. During the flux within the authorities’s export coverage, international locations like China and Pakistan have taken over India’s export market, farmers mentioned.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh authorities has introduced procurement of onions at ₹1,200 per quintal, a base value thought-about essential to defending farmers. One of the options given to the federal government of Maharashtra is to emulate the Andhra mannequin and incentivise the onion farmers.