The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has sharply condemned the ruling TDP-led coalition government, accusing it of failing to stand by the state’s struggling onion farmers. The APCC highlights the severe financial hardship faced by these growers, who are grappling with unprecedentedly low market prices for their produce.
In a recent statement shared on X, APCC president Y.S. Sharmila revealed the alarming economics of onion cultivation. Farmers reportedly invest close to ₹1.20 lakh per acre, only to be forced into selling their onions for as little as 50 paise per kilogram, or ₹50 per quintal. This abysmal rate leaves them with a meager income of just ₹3,000 per acre, resulting in staggering losses exceeding ₹1.15 lakh per acre and pushing many deeper into debt.
Sharmila specifically criticized the government for its alleged failure to honor its commitment to procure onions at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹1,200 per quintal through Markfed. She pointed out that not a single kilogram of onion has been purchased under this scheme, forcing desperate farmers to abandon their crops in markets as they can’t even cover the basic labor costs.
Furthermore, Sharmila strongly rebuked the government for seemingly prioritizing trivial matters, such as increasing cinema ticket prices, while ignoring the desperate cries of its farming community. She called for immediate government intervention to uphold its procurement pledges and to address the rampant exploitation by middlemen, particularly in key markets like Kurnool.