Madhya Pradesh Farmers Hold 'Funeral' For Onions As Prices Crash

In a demonstration of despair, farmers in Dhamnar village of Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district took out a funeral procession for onions after market prices crashed so low that they could not even recover their basic production and transportation costs.

A bier decorated with flowers, drums, and a full band accompanied the symbolic "last rites" of onions at the village cremation ground. 

Farmers in the Malwa-Nimar belt, one of the country's largest onion-producing regions, said they receive just Rs 1 to Rs 10 per kg for their produce in mandis. For many, the price is as low as Rs 1-2 per kg, while the production cost itself is Rs 10-12 per kg, leaving them in heavy losses.

"The onion procession is being held because we are unable to receive a fair price. A lot of costs have been incurred. If the government doesn't wake up, what can we do? Where will we go if we can't recover our costs?" Farmer Badri Lal Dhakad, who participated in the symbolic funeral, said. 

Another farmer, Devi Lal Vishwakarma, described why they performed the last rites: "Onions are like children to us, a part of our family. The second crop was destroyed due to excessive rainfall. Now these onions have died too, so we performed their last rites. The government is not giving a price that even covers our costs."

Farmers say that the long-standing 25 per cent export duty on onions has made Indian onions uncompetitive abroad. As a result, exports have sharply fallen, stocks have piled up in the country, and mandi prices have plummeted.

They claim that despite repeated appeals, the Centre has not reduced the export duty even though former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is currently the Union Agriculture Minister.

Tehsildar Rohit Singh Rajput, who reached the spot where farmers had submitted a memorandum, said, "Farmers want an increase in price. The government should buy onions at support price. They have submitted a memorandum. Some funerals were also held. This will be reported to the Collector, and the government will also be informed through him."

Farmers in Mandsaur, a district with a long history of agrarian protests, warned that the 'funeral procession' is only the beginning. 

They said that if the export duty is not lifted and fair prices are not ensured soon, they will intensify their agitation across the region.