Mumbai Two onion farmers from Maharashtra's Nashik district have allegedly committed suicide in the last two days, apparently due to indebtedness and low rates commanded by the bulb in markets, police said Sunday.
The deceased are identified as Tatyabhau Khairnar (44) and Manoj Dhondage (33) who hailed from Baglan taluka in the
north Maharashtra district.
Farmers in Nashik district, which accounts for 50% of onion production in India, have claimed that they are unable to fetch good returns for their produce due to glut in production.
A Baglan taluka police official Sunday said Khairnar allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his onion
shed in Bhadane village Friday.
"No suicide note was found on his body," he said. The official said the relatives pf the deceased had claimed that he was unable to sell his 500 quintals of onions stored in the farm due to low rates.
"His family also maintained that Khairnar had an outstanding bank loan to the tune of Rs 11 lakh," he said,
In another incident, Manoj Dhondage (33) consumed some poisonous chemical Friday.
"Dhondage was found unconscious in his farm on Friday with a bottle of poisonous chemical near him. He was rushed to Malegaon-based civil hospital where he died Saturday morning," police said.
"Dhondage's family members have said that his total outstanding loan is Rs 21 lakh and due to poor rates of onions
in the wholesale market, he could not sell his produce," police said.
Both the cases have been registered with Jaikhed police station in Baglan taluka.
Bumper production of the kitchen staple has affected the farmers adversely.
An onion-grower from Niphad taluka in the district recently sent his earnings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
mark his protest after he was forced to sell his produce for little over Rs 1 per kg.
The farmer, Sanjay Sathe, had donated paltry Rs 1,064 he had received after selling 750 kg of onions to the Disaster Relief Fund of the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) through a money order.
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