Karnataka: Onion farmers struggling as heavy rains, price slump devastate crops
Dharwad: Onion is the latest among the kharif crops to be damaged due to extreme rainfall in North Karnataka. Continuous rains and fungal blight have wiped out over 50% of the crop in Kittur Karnataka region and parts of Vijayanagar and Ballari districts.
The situation has worsened as onions, particularly local varieties, are struggling to find buyers in APMC markets due to poor size and quality, as reported by Deccan Herald on Monday.
This quality deterioration has led to a sharp fall in prices. In Hubballi APMC, one of the biggest markets for onion, local onions are being sold at Rs 500 to Rs 1,350 per quintal, while onions from Pune are fetching Rs 800 to Rs 1,900 per quintal. Last year, local onions were priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per quintal during the same period.
Farmers in Mumbai-Karnataka region and parts of Vijayanagar and Ballari, who had already endured massive crop losses of green gram, black gram, and soya due to excessive rainfall, are now grappling with yet another setback. Onion crops have been severely impacted by the continuous rains.
Onions were grown on 6,300 hectares this year in Dharwad. Continuous rains and fungal blight wiped out more than half of the crop, while the rest suffered quality deterioration, dragging down prices.
The financial strain on farmers is evident, as many are unable to recover even their production costs. “I cultivated onions on 1.5 acres, spending Rs 70,000. The rains destroyed much of the crop and I harvested only 58 bags, selling them for Rs 25,000. I haven’t even recovered my sowing and labour costs,” DH quoted Siddalingappa, a farmer from Doni in Gadag’s Mundargi taluk, as saying.
The situation is similar across Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Gadag districts. In Gadag alone, onions were grown on 14,000 hectares, but 4,000 hectares of crops were lost to the rains. Bagalkot also reported significant damage on over 3,000 hectares, while Vijayanagar lost 108.59 hectares of onion crops.
Somappa, who has been cultivating onions for years, explained that he has cultivated 50–60 acres of onions, but repeated price crashes forced him to scale down. “This year, I grew on just two acres, spending Rs 70,000 on inputs. Harvest was due in 2 weeks, but prices have already fallen,” DH quoted the farmer as saying.
Many farmers, disheartened by the poor market conditions, have been forced to leave harvested onions to rot in the fields.
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Mangaluru: Teacher booked for allegedly beating student in school
Vittla (Dakshina Kannada): A case has been registered at the Vittla Police Station against a school teacher on charges of seriously assaulting a student with a cane at an English-medium school in Idkidu village here near Vittla in Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the complaint, the student, who attends the school regularly, had gone to school as usual. Around 2 pm, the child’s parents received a call from the school office stating that their child had allegedly disturbed other students. The school informed them that when the teacher scolded the student over the issue, the child became frightened and urinated, and the parents were asked to come and take the child home.
The parents reportedly told the school staff that no one was at home at the time and requested that the child be sent home in an autorickshaw.
After returning home, the student told the parents that a teacher identified as Istikaar had beaten him severely on the hand with a cane. The child also said that he urinated out of fear while the assault was taking place.
When the parents contacted the teacher over the phone to question him about the incident, he allegedly responded in a dismissive manner.
Following this, the parents lodged complaints with the Vittla Police Station and the Child Development Project Office, seeking justice and strict action against the teacher for allegedly assaulting the child without any valid reason.
Police have registered a case against the teacher and have taken up further investigation.
