The Indian onion crisis making farmers cry
Farmers in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have set out on a 200km march to Mumbai, demanding higher prices for onions. The protests have prompted the authorities to announce some financial relief for onion growers. But farmers have rejected the proposal - and said they would continue their protest. BBC Marathi's Anagha Pathak reports.
At around 24 million tonnes annually, India is the world's second-largest producer of onions, behind China. Maharashtra accounts for more than half of this. About 10-15% of the countrywide produce is exported to other countries.Onion prices in India are highly volatile. The vegetable is a staple part of the cuisine in most Indian states and its perishability means it can't be stored for too long.
Officials say that a major reason for the latest crash in Maharashtra was that demand from the populous northern states was dropping as the states of "Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan are also harvesting onions".Shrikant Kuwalekar, a farm expert, says that unexpected weather changes are also having an effect on production and hence prices.
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