Onion farmers in Kurnool district converged at District Collector’s office here on Tuesday and dumped several bags of onion on the road in front of the entry gate protesting against the stoppage of market intervention by the State government.
Farmers led by CITU State secretary M.A. Gafoor demanded immediate resumption of purchase of onions so that the farmers could retrieve at least their investment (input cost) for cultivating. With the government stopping purchase of onions for the past one month, the growers find themselves in a tight spot with none able to sell their produce.
“The State government, by changing the eNAM(National Agriculture Market) rules, had been telling the farmers that it would help them sell their produce to traders in other States, but nothing came out of it. It is a loss for farmers,” Mr. Gafoor added. The State Ministers only give statements on TV channels but do not visit the fields of the farmers in the district to understand the problems of farmers and also hamalis, who are dependent on the sale of onions.
