Activities gain momentum in onion farms

The activities in onion farms have gained momentum, following a rise in the price of onion in the market. The workers, who have come in search of employment, are busy in fields where onion is cultivated.

The workers are busy clearing the weeds from the farm land. They are also engaged in harvesting the onions, segregating them based on the size and filling them into bags to be loaded onto trucks that carry the yield to the markets.

“The price of onion has increased, but it might slide at any moment. The price might crash if the Centre checks the export of onion,” said farmer Gangadharappa.

He added, “All the onion harvest enters the market at a single time. I have to sell the onion before the price crashes. As a result, without looking at the size, I am engaged in harvesting the crop.”

Nagendrappa, a farmer from Hebbooru, said, “If it rains, the entire field becomes slushy. The tyres of vehicles get stuck in the field and I will not be able to transport the onion from the field to the market. Hence, I am engaged in cleaning the onion before it rains.”

Farmer Thimmappa said, “I have spent Rs 2,000 on cultivation, Rs 3,000 on seeds, Rs 6,000 on the fertiliser, Rs 5000 for clearing weeds, Rs 5000 for spraying insecticides, Rs 6000 for harvesting, Rs 2000 for segregating onion from bunches and Rs 15,000 for filling onions into bags. If I get good a price, I can survive.”

Onion merchant Shabeer from Bhadravathi said, “The yield is less this year. The size of the onion is also small. I have purchased onion for
Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per quintal. I sell it in markets of Bengaluru and Kolkata.”