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Last year’s bountiful rains and adequate soil moisture has led to a surge in the arrival of rabi crops in the markets across Maharashtra. Important crops such as onion, tur dal (arhar) and Bengal gram are arriving by the hour in markets leading to either drop or price stagnation.
In Lasalgaon, Nashik, in Northern Maharashtra, which is the largest onion growing area in the country, arrivals have been huge, leading to prices being stuck within a range. Long term storage of onions has also been an issue leading distress sale in the market.
Chairman of Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Jaydutt Holkar, told BusinessLine that the prices have stabilised at about Rs 450 to Rs 650 per quintal. The prices have closed at a lower band because of the oversupply of onions from the farmers.
Onion trader Nitin Jain from Lasalgaon said that onion arrivals in the markets have been about 1500 to 1700 tractor trolleys, which is a large number. The region is also not facing any problem of rail wagons, therefore, the supply to the markets across India has been regular, he said.
Onion farmer Arvind Dere from Pimpalgaon, Nashik said that with prices at Rs 400 a quintal, farmers are facing hand to mouth situation. There are not enough storage space for the onions leading to more and more distress sale, he said.
If onion prices is making the farmers cry, then pulses farmers are also not far behind.
Lalit Shah who is Chairman of APMC, Latur in Marathwada region said that tur dal is trading at Rs 4,200 to Rs 4,400 per quintal. About 15,000 quintals per day are coming in the APM market yard but lifting by State Government agencies is only 2000 to 2,500 quintals, therefore, the prices are depressed. In the last one-month tur prices have decreased Rs 2,000 per quintal. Due to good rains, last year, crop acreage has doubled but market is not ready to absorb the crop,
Bengal gram is also facing the same situation. In the last, two to three months prices have been dipped by Rs 2,000. It is trading at about Rs 4,500 per quintal and arrivals are also similar to tur dal, he said.
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