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Farmers protest demanding fair price for onion; withdraw agitation later

Hubballi: Upset with the steep decline in the price of onions, farmers from across North Karnataka blocked traffic on Hubballi-Dharwad Road on Monday to protest against the traders at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee ( APMC ), Amargol. The farmers alleged that all the traders were conspiring together to deny them a fair price for their produce.



Ryots from Navalgund, Nargund, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Badami and Dharwad converged on Hubballi-Dharwad Road around 11am throwing traffic on the perpetually busy thoroughfare out of gear. The protesting farmers withdrew their protest following the intervention of the former president of the Hubballi APMC Jagannathgouda Siddanagouda.

The farmers alleged that the traders were bidding less than Rs 3,000 per quintal of onion, regardless of the quality of the crop. The ryots argued that all the traders were in cahoots with each other, and were trying to rob them of profit. Pointing to the wholesale price being offered for onions in Hyderabad and other cities, the farmers said, “The wholesale price of one quintal of onion in Hyderabad is Rs 7,000, but it is less than half of that in Hubballi. How is this even possible? When the demand for onion in the retail market is high, how can the traders bid such low prices for our crop. They are misleading the farmers.”

Siddanagouda, however, said that the farmers had acted in haste. “Owing to some misunderstanding, the farmers invaded the road and started protesting for a better price. The truth is that trading at the Amargol APMC was yet to commence. However, some farmers thought that traders were undervaluing their crop. But I managed to convince them that such was not the case, and they withdrew the protest,” said the former APMC president.

He added that the price being offered to farmers was higher compared to the corresponding rates during the same period last year. “Today, a farmer got Rs 5,000 for a quintal of onion, which was the highest bid, while the lowest was Rs 4,000/ quintal,” said Siddanagouda, adding that he convinced the farmers after asking them to compare the rates in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Belagavi.

“The farmers were quite satisfied with the price that was settled on,” Siddanagouda said.

On the retail market in Hubballi, the average price for one kilogram of onion hovered around Rs 40 to Rs 45. Onions of a superior quality, on the other hand, were being sold for Rs 60 to Rs 65.

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