From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 28: With onion prices falling very sharply, the State Government has decided to step in to arrest steep fall in onion prices and protect farmers’ interest by procuring onions at Rs 624 a quintal in the major onion growing districts of Karnataka.

The procurement would commence from November 2 in the10 districts of Dharwad, Gadag, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Haveri, Vijayapura, Raichur, and Koppal by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs).

Following the glut in the production, the State government has urged the Centre to provide financial aid to procure the commodity in the state, which is one of the largest crop growing states.

Currently, the production of onion stood at 23 lakh tonnes which was grown in 3.5 lakh acres.

Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra, who also heads the Sate-cabinet committee on agricultural crops, said the Karnataka Marketing Federation would procure onions under the market intervention scheme.

A sum of Rs 50 crore had been released for the purpose, he said while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday.

He said the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday discussed the crash in prices of onion in the State and decided to seek Central aid for procurement of the commodity at Rs. 11 per kg from growers.

He, however, said the Centre has expressed its ability to procure only one lakh tonnes of onions.