AHMEDABAD: Onions have triggered a political storm in Gujarat, with angry farmers in Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel's hometown taking to the streets over crashing prices that have plunged them into deep losses.
In an interesting show of protest, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Hemant Khawa distributed free onions in the roads of Jamjodhpur. He blamed the state government for failing to protect the farmers.
The protest comes against the backdrop of heavy rains that damaged groundnut crops, a glut of onions from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and the absence of MSP or export policy, pushing farmers to the brink of financial ruin.
Already suffering from groundnut crop losses, farmers were hit harder as wholesale onion prices crashed from Rs 20–25 per kg to just Rs 10. Many were forced to sell their produce at Rs 3–7 per kg, far below the production cost of Rs 10.
Leading the charge, Khawa turned the farmers’ plight into a sharp political flashpoint.
In addition to distributing free onions to traders, rickshaw pullers, and drivers on the streets, Khawa also organised a mass rally with farmers.
Khawa also wrote to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, warning that lakhs of farmers were sliding into financial crisis as the gap between market prices and production costs widened. The MLA held export restrictions responsible for the price crash, which led to oversupply in domestic markets, crushing farmers under a glut of produce.
He criticised the absence of an MSP system for onions, accusing the state of failing to create a mechanism for procurement or price control.
Khawa demanded urgent measures, including:
Fixing MSP for onions based on production costs,
Removing export restrictions or introducing a stable export policy,
Immediate procurement by NAFED and other agencies,
Financial aid under the Market Intervention Scheme,
Subsidies and modern warehouses to prevent spoilage and stabilise prices.
Khawa warned that if the government failed to act swiftly, farmers would abandon onion cultivation, causing long-term supply chain disruptions. He threatened to intensify protests into a statewide agitation, directly challenging the BJP-led government.
Traders predict that with large new arrivals expected next month from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which have had bumper harvests, prices could plunge even further, leaving no chance of recovery in the immediate future.
While consumers benefit from cheap onions, farmers are suffering heavy losses, with many reporting over 50 per cent loss on every kilogram sold.