AP:The middleman system in the supply and marketing chain of agriculture commodities has been fuelling the onion price rise in the state.
While the price of onions has touched nearly Rs 100 per kg in New Delhi, the situation is getting worse in Hyderabad with each passing day. The price of onions has increased sharply from Rs 40 per kg a week ago to over Rs 60.
However, the farmers are not benefiting from this price rise. While the brokers are purchasing onions for around Rs 10 per kg from the farmers directly, the same is being sold for more than Rs 60 in retail markets.
The modus operandi of the brokers is simple. They extend loans to farmers faster than banks on condition that their onion stocks will be sold only to them.
Farmers, who are fed up with the cumbersome process of obtaining loans from government banks, are now relying on brokers for loans.
As per the agreement reached with the brokers, the farmers cannot sell their stocks by themselves.
With AP bifurcation row taking centrestage, minister for civil supplies D. Sridhar Babu and the minister for marketing Mukesh Goud do not have the time to review the issue.
Maddileti Anjaneyulu, a farmer from Basavapuram in Kurnool, who was in the Mahbub Mansion market to collect arrears from brokers said, “When the onion prices touched Rs 80 per kg in August-September, the brokers paid us less than Rs 30 per kg. Now onions are being sold for Rs 60 per kg, but we are being paid just Rs 10 per kg.”
Nakashi Rajanna, a farmer from Mahbubnagar, said farmers were forced to sell their stocks to brokers as they extended quick loans on condition that their stocks would only be sold to them
source: DC
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