Onion farmers across Maharashtra are facing severe losses after wholesale prices crashed far below production costs. In key growing districts such as Nashik, Solapur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, many growers say they are earning just Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kilogram while spending more than Rs 12 per kilogram to cultivate the crop. Some farmers reported taking their harvests to market only to return with mounting debts after paying for labour and transport.

Prices have been sliding since February, with a majority of arrivals selling at rates that do not cover even half the cost of production. Farmers estimate the break-even price at around Rs 18 per kilogram, yet most sales are occurring at a fraction of that. Compared with last year, when onions fetched significantly higher rates, the current season has brought steep financial setbacks.

Growers and market experts attribute the crisis to a combination of bumper arrivals, weak domestic demand, export disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia, and unseasonal rain that damaged crops and reduced quality. Heavy showers during the harvest period led to rot and storage losses, further depressing prices.

Farmer groups are demanding that onions be brought under a minimum support price system and are urging the Maharashtra government to provide compensation for distress sales, warning that losses this season have been overwhelming.