Low onion price pushes Sar-i-Pul farmers to the edge

SAR-I-PUL CITY (Pajhwok): Farmers in northern Sar-i-Pul province say they grew onion on thousands of acres land but the vegetable’s price decreased by 66 percent.

The farmers complain they are unable even to meet the expenses of seed, chemical fertilizers and wages to laborers due to low price of onion. 

Last year, according to them, the price of seven kilograms of onion hovered between 180 and 200 afghanis, but the same quantity was sold for 50 afghanis to 80 afghanis today.

Sayyed Mohammad, a farmer in capital city Sar-i-Pul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he cultivated his 100 of acres of land with onion because farmers had good income from the crop last year.

He said he had obtained the land against 50,000 afghanis per acre on lease and also spent 80,000 afghanis on water, chemical fertilizers and workers. He said he could not meet the expenses.

Mohammad Sarwar, another farmer in Sayyed Abad locality of the capital city, said: “I came back from Iran to cultivate onion after hearing about its high price last year.” He cultivated his 50 acres of land with onion, but could not meet even the expenses.

The farmers urged the government to provide them facilities and help them export their onion abroad. They also complained about lack of cold storages.

Eng. Syed Moinuddin, the provincial agricultural department head, told Pajhwok that due to insecurity they had been unable to collect statistics about onion cultivation

He said they had suggested construction of 30 cold storages in Sar-i-Pul to the ministry concerned in order to facilitate farmers.

pk/ma