Overview

• Farmers will begin a seven-day ‘phone strike’ on September 12, calling MPs, ministers and senior officials, with organisers sharing contact numbers on WhatsApp and Facebook to drive participation.
• Growers report receiving ₹800–1,200 per quintal against cultivation costs of ₹2,200–2,500, citing months of below-cost sales and mounting losses.
• The Centre has started retailing buffer onions at ₹24 per kg in select cities, a move farmers argue is dragging wholesale rates down further.
• A Rayat Kranti Sanghatana leader warned trucks carrying government-procured onions could be targeted if the stock is sold in open markets, urging distribution via the PDS instead.
• Lasalgaon in Nashik, Asia’s largest onion market, is seeing 2,000–2,500 truckloads arrive daily with few buyers, underscoring a glut that has depressed prices.