Madhya Pradesh Farmers Stage Symbolic Funeral for Onions as Market Prices Collapse Below Production Costs

Farmers in Madhya Pradesh are receiving merely Rs 1 to Rs 10 per kilogram for their onion produce at local mandis.

Mandsaur:

Farmers from Dhamnar village in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district have staged a symbolic funeral procession for onions as market prices have collapsed to levels far below production costs. The desperate demonstration featured a flower-adorned bier, accompanied by drummers and a full band as they performed the "last rites" for their onion crops at the village cremation ground.

The Malwa-Nimar region, recognized as one of India's major onion-producing areas, has seen farmers receiving as little as Rs 1-2 per kilogram for their produce. With production costs ranging between Rs 10-12 per kilogram, farmers are experiencing devastating financial losses.

"We're conducting this onion procession because we cannot secure fair pricing. We've incurred significant expenses. If the government remains unresponsive, what options do we have? Where can we turn when we can't even recover our basic costs?" said farmer Badri Lal Dhakad, who participated in the symbolic funeral.

Another farmer, Devi Lal Vishwakarma, explained the emotional significance behind the ritual: "Onions are like our children, part of our family. Our second crop was destroyed by excessive rainfall. Now these onions have effectively died too, so we performed their last rites. The government is not offering prices that even cover our production expenses."

The farmers attribute much of their economic distress to the 25 percent export duty imposed on onions, which has made Indian onions uncompetitive in international markets. This policy has significantly reduced exports, causing domestic stockpiles to accumulate and market prices to plummet.

Despite repeated appeals, farmers claim the Central Government has not reduced the export duty, even though former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan now serves as the Union Agriculture Minister.

Tehsildar Rohit Singh Rajput, who arrived at the protest site where farmers submitted their memorandum, stated, "Farmers are demanding higher prices. They want the government to purchase onions at support prices. They have submitted a memorandum. Some funeral ceremonies were also conducted. This information will be relayed to the Collector, who will then inform the government."

Mandsaur district, with its history of agricultural protests, may see further unrest as farmers have warned that this funeral procession represents only the beginning of their campaign. They have threatened to intensify their agitation across the region if the export duty is not removed and fair prices are not guaranteed soon.