It has been three years since the onion growers in the State got decent returns on the vegetable. “The last three years, there was too much rain and the onions rotted away in the ground itself. This year, it is the opposite, and the plants are going dry in the heat,” said Mallikarjun, president, Rajya Raitha Sangha, Chitradurga. He said that these unpredictable weather patterns stopped many farmers from sowing onions this time.
He said that while there was a 50-60% decrease in Challakere, overall, 40% of farmers in Chitradurga decided to not grow onions this year.
He pointed out that the government’s latest decision to impose 40% duty on the exports of onions has also discouraged farmers.
