Covid-19 impact: Farmers panic as onion slips to season's lowest of Rs 3/kg

Rush to sell even below cost of production amid fear of spoilage as Lasalgaon mandi is closed

The mad rush by farmers to sell late the kharif variety of onion has pulled down the crop's price to the season's lowest of Rs 3 a kg in Vinchur mandi near Lasalgaon, Asia's largest spot onion selling market yard. Lasalgaon is in Maharashtra's Nashik district the country’s largest onion growing region. Prices now are trading below the cultivator's cost of production.

With export quality onion selling in this mandi at Rs 9 a kg, its model or average price is Rs 6 a kg, the lowest so far in this late harvesting season. Farmers seemed to be in a