Date:03/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/03/stories/2009010351120300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Dindigul

Small onion growers in tears in Dindigul

Staff Reporter

They face huge loss owing to poor yield

— PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN.

A TALE OF WOE: Poor arrival of small onions in Dindigul on Friday causes increase in their price.

DINDIGUL: Normally rain brings cheers to farmers. But it does not shower blessings on small onion growers who face huge loss this season, owing to poor yield. Incessant rain in November-end did the maximum damage to standing onion crops on thousands of hectares in the district. Fog since mid-December too harmed the crop further.

Onion growers feel the burden only when they attempted to harvest. Now, they harvest only 50 per cent of total yield they got in last season.

Sharp slump in yield resulted in steep hike in prices of onion in whole sale market. But such price hike does not benefit them as it fails to meet their initial costs even. Total investment for onion cultivation is around Rs.15,000 per acre.

“I have spent Rs.5,000 to buy onion seeds. At least, 300 kg of seeds is essential to grow onion on one acre. If it were hybrid variety, 500 kg of seeds would be a must,” said C. Chinnamani, onion grower at Kariyapatti.

“I shelled out another Rs.10,000 to meet fertilizer and other input costs and labour wages. But yield was very poor. I could not get 100 bags even. Yield in the last year was 220 bags.”

The chill climate and fog in the morning worsen the situation further. Tip of the onion leaf was completely wilted. When the leaf tip turned black and became weak, growth of onion stunted and ultimately affected yield, he added.

With good procurement price, onion growers have been struggling. At Dindigul whole sale market, prices of onion on Friday have been hovering between Rs.26 and 28 a kg, nearly 200 per cent increase within a short time. It was just Rs.10 a kg in November. Dindigul market receives onion from Dindigul and Thuraiyur and Perambalur. With poor shelf life, wet onions that turn black, fetches poor price only. Poor arrivals catapulted prices sharply, said V. Rajendran, a wholesale onion trader in Dindigul.

Normally, we receive 400 tonnes of onion during this season. Now, arrivals have not touched 250 tonnes.

If the yield were good, sale of onion at Rs.11 a kg would suffice to keep growers happy. But they cannot smile when their produces sell Rs.26 a kg, he added.

Onion has been predominantly grown in Nilakottai, Batlagundu, Gujiliamparai, Erioyde and Sengurichi in the district.