GADAG: Prices of agricultural crops fluctuate wildly, but still, this is quite shocking. A farmer from Gadag got Rs 8.36 after selling 205 kg of onions at the Yeshwanthpur market in Bengaluru. The receipt has gone viral after the distraught farmer posted it on social media to warn other farmers not to bring their produce to Bengaluru.
The wholesaler, who has issued the bill, has valued the onions at Rs 200 per quintal. But after deducting Rs 24 as porter charges and Rs 377.64 towards freight, he has given Rs 8.36 to the farmer, Pawadeppa Hallikeri from Timmapur village.
Nearly 50 farmers from Gadag, who had gone to sell onions at the Yeshwanthpur market transporting it over 415 km, were surprised to see the price at Rs 200 per quintal, while it was around Rs 500 just a few days ago.
Furious at the ridiculous prices, farmers are now planning a protest to force the state government to announce a minimum support price for their produce. “We farmers from Gadag have been affected by incessant rainfall this year and onions that we have grown are smaller in size,” said Pawadeppa.
Farmers want MSP for onion declared soon
“Farmers from Pune and Tamil Nadu, who bring their produce to Yeshwanthpur, are getting a good price as their crop is better. But still, none of us expected the price to be this low,” said Pawadeppa. “I got just Rs 8 and posted the receipt on social media to alert other farmers to avoid the Yeshwanthpur market as the Gadag and north Karnataka onion crop is not getting a good price there. I have spent more than Rs 25,000 to grow and transport the crop to the market.
Many farmers like me are now disappointed,” Pawadeppa said. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Gadag district president Yallappa Babari said, “We have requested the state government to declare the minimum support price as soon as possible as farmers have suffered losses this whole year due to continuous rain. If no decision is taken, we will take out a protest in the first week of December.”