The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) accused the Maharashtra government of neglecting onion farmers who are facing financial distress due to a significant drop in onion prices. The party expressed concern that onion growers in the state are constantly struggling, facing challenges such as unseasonable weather damaging their crops and government inefficiency leading to low selling prices.
In an editorial in the party’s publication, ‘Saamana,’ the Thackeray camp highlighted the plight of onion farmers in Maharashtra, emphasizing that despite good onion production, market prices have sharply declined. The government’s announced procurement price of Rs 1,235 per quintal was criticized for being insufficient to cover production costs, leaving farmers in a loss-making situation.
The editorial pointed out that various factors, including a drop in onion exports due to the Gulf War and inadequate state management of onion stock, have contributed to the crisis. The government’s failure to address the continuous decline in onion prices has forced farmers to sell their produce at meager rates, with some even resorting to symbolic protests to draw attention to their plight.
The Shiv Sena criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for not fulfilling his promise of a higher guaranteed procurement price for onions and accused the government of insensitivity towards the struggles of onion farmers. The party warned that the government’s neglect has trapped Maharashtra’s onion growers in a cycle of hardship, where storing the harvest leads to spoilage and selling it results in minimal returns, while the authorities remain indifferent to their plight.
