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Early rain rots onion summer crops, dashes growers' hopes

Last Updated 05 June 2018, 17:15 IST

Onion growers in the villages of the district who had stocked their produce hoping that they will get a good price during the upcoming Kara Hunnime festival are now in doldrums.

Early showers have resulted in the onions rotting, causing a stench all around. Farmers grow onions in this region as a summer crop, as they can earn good returns when monsoon sets. But their plans have been washed away in rains as they usually stock the produce in the open ground.

Ramanagouda Patil, a farmer from Budni village in Nidagundi taluk, said he had spent Rs 10 lakh for the crop, but that is all gone now.

He said he had grown 100 tonnes of onion and was waiting to sell the crop in the run up to the festival. Patil was heartbroken when he saw the onions rotting and stench emanating from the stocking yard.

But all is not lost for the farmers. They plan to dry the onions which are in good condition after throwing away the rotten onions. They plan to retrieve 30% of the produce, but for that they have to spend on the labour.

Patil said he had taken loans amounting to Rs 10 lakh from money lenders and hopes for a price of Rs 1,200-Rs 1,400 per quintal against the current rate of Rs 600-800 a quintal, so that he can repay at least part of the loans.

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(Published 05 June 2018, 16:46 IST)

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