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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Siddaramaiah and I have come to understanding, we will abide by it: Shivakumar
Karwar (Karnataka) (PTI): Not willing to make any direct statement on whether there will be a chief minister change in the state, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar on Friday said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
Stating that Siddaramaiah is CM as per the high command's decision, he clarified that he has never made any comments on the former's tenure.
Siddaramaiah, earlier in the day, had affirmed that he would remain in office for his full five-year term, expressing confidence in the Congress high command's support.
During a discussion in the Assembly on the issues pertaining to North Karnataka's development, Siddaramaiah also said he never mentioned that he was the chief minister for only two-and-a-half years.
"I had never said, he (Siddaramaiah) will not be there (as CM) for five years. I have never said that the high command is not with him. As the high command is with him, he is chief minister today," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Noting that Siddaramaiah is in the post of CM as per the decision of the party, he said, "Both of us have come to an agreement, the high command has got us to an understanding, as per that both of us have discussed and have said several times that we will abide by it and go ahead."
Shivakumar, however, chose not to answer a question, whether there will be a change in the chief minister post or not.
To a question on talks about CM change, he said, "It is you (media) who is talking about it, there is no discussion among us. We will abide by what the party says."
The Deputy CM was on a visit to various temples in the Uttara Kannada district on Friday.
To a question linking his visit to the goddess Jagadeeshwari temple in Uttara Kannada district's Ankola, to his chief ministerial ambitions, Shivakumar said, "I don't want to talk about it, it is between me and the mother goddess. It is between the devotee and the deity. What I have prayed to the goddess and what she told me is between us."
He said, five years ago he had come to the temple regarding some issue concerning his family and his wish was fulfilled. "So I'm visiting the temple as a mark of gratitude and to seek blessings for me, the state and the people who believe in me. I'm going back happily."
