Onion stocks pile up at Kurnool market yard

Kurnool: Hundreds of tractors loaded with onion bags were seen stranded for kilometres at Kurnool agriculture market yard.

Due to lack of sufficient lorries for transporting the earlier purchased onions to various States, there is no place to accommodate fresh stocks in the market yard.

Trucks carrying onions are reaching the Kurnool market from the erstwhile Kurnool district besides the neighbouring Telangana state.

The onions stacked in heaps are still to be auctioned. In both cases, the purchased onions are stacked instead of disposing them of due to lack of transportation facility and loads of onions have also occupied the market leaving no space for new arrivals.

As a result, the new arrivals are unable to get entry into the market.

In fact Kurnool district is the largest producer of onions. The onions from Kurnool market would be transported to Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Cuttack, Gujarat and other parts of India.

Due to lack of loading facility, nearly 4,000 tonnes of onions have been stacked at various sheds in the market, stated a source.

The farmers are expressing concern as most of the onions are getting rotten due to dampness. Around 5 to 9 quintals of onions are getting dumped after grading. None of the purchasers are showing interest to purchase them without grading. For grading of the onions, additional expenditure is being incurred. Instead of farmers the middlemen are benefitting, laments the farmers.

The Hans India spoke to the Additional Director of Marketing, A Narayana Murthy, and enquired about the problems in disposing of the stocks and permitting the new stocks into the market as the vehicles have been stranded for kilometres.

He said the officials are told to allow the new loads after midnight as the earlier loads have to be disposed. If the new loads are allowed, then there would be a big problem for the lorries to go out. Though the farmers are told to bring the produce after midnight, they are arriving early to the market and parking the trucks on the roads thereby creating problems to vehicles and motorists, he said. Almost all loads have been disposed except the leftover 10 per cent in the market. On Monday trading of around 43,000 quintals has taken place, the AD has stated.

The AD said that up to Sunday, the lowest price was Rs 2,300 and the highest price has almost touched Rs 4,500 per quintal.

The farmers are expressing happiness over getting good price to their produce, added the Assistant Director.