-PTI
Devidas Parbhane says like him several others have got a ‘raw deal’ despite a bumper crop this season.
Pune: A farmer has claimed he earned only Re. 1 after selling almost a tonne of onions at the district Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Pune.
Devidas Parbhane, 48, said the fall in onion prices had taken a toll on him.
The math
The farmer explained the math: he has two acres of farm land and he spent Rs. 80,000 to grow onions. “On May 10, I sent 952 kg of onions in 18 gunny bags through a truck to the Agriculture Produce Market Committee and received Rs. 16 per 10 kg. So, per one kg, it works to one rupee and sixty paise,” said Mr. Parbhane.
“The total onion was sold for Rs. 1,523.2. Out of the earnings, the middlemen took away Rs. 91.35, labour charges were Rs. 59 and Rs. 18.55, and Rs. 33.30 was paid against miscellaneous charges. Rs. 1,320 was paid to the truck driver, who transported the produce to APMC.”
The farmer claimed that after all the deductions, he took home only Re. 1.