Onion growers in Maharashtra's Pune district have reported heavy losses as continuous rainfall over recent weeks damaged large portions of their stored produce.
Farmers in key onion-growing areas such as Junnar and Shirur said nearly half of their stored onions had been spoiled, undermining expectations of higher returns during the monsoon period. Traditionally, onions are harvested in summer and stored in makeshift or semi-permanent facilities to be sold later when monsoon demand tightens the supply. This year, however, prices remained stagnant at Rs1,200–Rs1,500 per quintal (US$144–US$180 per ton). The combination of low prices and crop damage has left growers without a financial cushion.
"Almost 50 per cent of my stored onions are damaged because I could not take them out for drying due to continuous rain," said Alkesh Kashid, a farmer from Junnar. Other growers echoed similar concerns, noting that damp conditions in storage made it impossible to maintain quality.
Agricultural experts explained that onion storability depends on proper ventilation and periodic drying. During erratic or prolonged rainfall, maintaining these conditions becomes difficult. "The crop is highly sensitive to moisture, and once rotting sets in, the damage spreads quickly across storage heaps," said an agriculture department official.
The financial impact is severe. Onion is one of the most important cash crops for farmers in the Pune district, and losses could run into several crores rupees (tens of millions of US$). "For small and medium cultivators, who invested heavily in storage infrastructure and were banking on better market rates, the current situation is particularly distressing," said farmer activist Shantaram Sarvade from Khed tehsil.
Farmer organisations have demanded immediate government intervention, including price stabilisation and compensation for crop loss. "We are already reeling under rising input costs. With such heavy losses, it will be impossible for many of us to plan the next cropping cycle," said a farmer leader from Shirur.
Maharashtra is India's largest onion-producing state, and disruptions in production and storage often affect the national supply chain. If prices remain stagnant despite reduced quantity and quality, growers warn that the season will end in financial distress without recovery in sight.
Source: Times of India