Low yields fail onion farmers in Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: The onion farmers in Mahbubnagar this year are facing a tough time as the yields of onion crops have steeply fallen due to uneven rains in the district.

Even though Mahabubnagar is blessed with rich black soil which is ideally suitable for growing onion with bumper cropping yields, unfortunately the farmers in district are facing a peculiar situation with low yields.

While, as already the onion farmers of Palamuru are in tears with very low yields of onions this year, they are facing severe competition to sell their little production in the market, as the markets are already flooded with heavy onion dumped from the neighbouring districts of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.

“This year though the prices for onions is quite reasonable and could have got a good return for our investments, but unfortunately our yields have steeply fallen. Instead of 30-40 quintals yield per acre, we could not even reap 10-15 quintals.

As we have spent more than Rs. 25-30,000 per acre, the returns are not even sufficient to repay our debts,” said Venkateshwar of Shankarayapally of Jadcherla mandal, who had sown onions on 2 acre land.

At present the onions are calling for a rate of Rs 1,500 per quintal in the wholesale market and it is a good rate for a farmer who had yielded a bumper crop, however, the farmers in the district this time have yielded lowest onion crop and are in deep distress.

The onion cultivation was taken up over an extent of 3,150 hectares of land, which is 62 hectares more area compared to the previous year’s crop sown area. On an average each onion farmer usually incurred about Rs 40-50,000 per acre for cultivation and other costs incurred relating to the sowing of onion crop. However, this year, the farmers have not even reaped half of their investment and facing severe crises with low yields.

Unlike in Mahbubnagar, the onion crop production in neighbouring Kurnool district has witnessed a bumper output and the farmers from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh are now dumping their onion produce at a reduced price in Telangana districts of Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool as there is a severe shortage of onion.

This has lead to a double whammy for the onion farmers as they are also deprived to sell their little yielded crops as they are facing severe competition from the onion farmers of neighbouring state.

“This year we have been hit hard due to uneven rainfall. Particularly the areas of Alampur, Undavalli, Manavapadu, Rajoli and Vaddepally mandals of Gadwal and somparts in Wanaparthy, Mahbubnagar are also known for good onion production. But all these areas have failed to give good yields which is the main cause of concerns for the farmers in the district,” said an agriculture official in Mahbubnagar district.