Farmers back proposed ‘National Onion Bhavan’ project in Nashik

Nashik, Dec 22 (PTI) Onion farmers from Jaigaon village in Maharashtra's Nashik district have extended their support to the proposed 'National Onion Bhavan', a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at strengthening cultivators' control over the value chain of the kitchen staple.

During a meeting held at Jaigaon in Sinnar taluka on Sunday morning, onion growers from the village and surrounding areas were given preliminary information about the project.

In the first phase, the 'National Onion Bhavan' will be constructed on a two-acre plot in Jaigaon at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore, said Bharat Dighole, founder president of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers' Farmers' Association.

The entire project will be funded through public contributions from farmers, he said.

Dighole, who conceptualised the project, explained that the initiative aims to empower farmers by giving them direct control over the entire onion ecosystem — from seed production and cultivation to storage, marketing, processing, and domestic and international exports.

Speaking about the challenges faced by onion growers under the current market system, he said cultivators receive remunerative prices only for one or two months in a year, if at all, while being forced to sell the bulb at low prices for the rest of the season, resulting in significant financial losses.

"With the establishment of the National Onion Bhavan, it will be possible to create a stable, transparent and sustainable pricing mechanism every year," Dighole said, expressing confidence that the project would bring long-term relief to farmers.

He further said that the proposed facility will be a strategic headquarters for onion farmers, housing facilities for research, scientific storage, market analysis, direct procurement and sales systems, export facilitation, policy advisory services and farmer training.

The project is expected to reduce farmers' dependence on intermediaries, increase profitability and enhance the competitiveness of Indian onions in both domestic and global markets, the organisation stated in a release.

Farmers present at the meeting assured full cooperation for the successful implementation of the project.

Dighole said the initiative would serve as a guiding model for onion growers across Maharashtra and the country. PTI MR ARU