Date:06/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/06/stories/2008100652860300.htm

Karnataka

Farmers protest low onion price

Staff Correspondent

DAVANGERE: Farmers here discarded loads of onions on Sunday, protesting against the sharp decrease in its prices as well as the failure of the Government to announce a support price for the crop. They also staged a “rasta roko” on National Highway 13 near Kalledevarapura village in Jagalur taluk.

Onion has been widely grown in Kalledevarapura and surrounding villages and the price of the crop has come down to Rs.70 a quintal. Farmers say they would be unable to recover even one-tenth of their production cost if they sell the crop for that price.

They said they anticipated a good price for their produce and hence had grown the crop widely in the taluk. They demanded that the Government come to their rescue and announce a support price immediately.

Office-bearers of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene led the agitation.

A memorandum was submitted to the tahsildar of Jagalur. Surprisingly, the price of onion at the Davangere market has not yet been revised and it is still being sold at Rs.10 a kg.