Dramatic drop in onion prices worries Balkh farmers

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Concerned about a dramatic decrease in the price of onions, farmers in northern Balkh province have demanded of the government to find market for their produce and construct cold storages.

However, agriculture officials say they have shared the issue with Ministry of Agriculture and are awaiting its solution.

Omid, a farmer in Koshak village of Balkh district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he had planted onion on his five acres of land and the harvest was satisfactory.

But he lamented the price of seven kg of onions was just 40 afs this year compared to its last year’s price of 400 afs.

“This year’s onion yield is good, but its price shows a 10-time decrease compared to last year and I will incur a lot of losses,” he added.

Muhammad Tahir, a farmer in Takhta Pul village, said onion price dropped significantly this year.

He said: “I borrowed money to sow onion on five acres of land onion, but now I wonder how to repay the loan”.

He asked the government to explore market for their onion harvest and establish cold storages in the province.

On other hand, Agriculture Department Promotion Manager Muhammad Hussain Azimi rejected farmers’ complaint and blamed the decreased price on excessive planting.

According to Azimi, he has shared the issue of cold storages with the ministry and NOGs, but work on them is yet to be started.

This year, onion was planted on 3,500 hectares of land that produced about 30,000 metric tons of onion and last year 2,500 hectares produced about 20,000 metrics tons of onion.

hz/ma