Compensate onion farmers of State: NKS

The Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), a farmers’ body has demanded compensation to onion farmers who faced loss this year due to low grade onion seeds provided by the State Government.NKS State coordinator Akshaya Kumar said the Horticulture Department of the State had purchased 100 quintals of onion seeds from the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) at Nasik which could not cater the demand of farmers. 

later the Government purchased 288 quintals of seeds from open market to fulfill the demand. The high quality onion seeds ‘Agro Found light’ from the NHRDF did well, but quality of the other seeds was substandard, he added.Due to low quality seeds, Kumar said, the farmers experienced heavy loss. The farmers approached the Odisha State Seeds Corporation and appealed the State Government to give them compensation for their crop loss, but nothing happened till date, he added. Besides, lack of cold storages and proper marketing system in State left onion farmers in lurch. 

“Our farmers produce sufficient onions than our demand, but the State Government has failed to promote them,” said Kumar and added that the State has to be self-reliant in production of onion, its preservation and seeds supply.