Unseasonal rains hit 4,500 ha of summer onion crops in Nashik

Nashik: Summer onion crops spread across over 4,500 hectares in five talukas of the Nashik district have seen extensive damage in the unseasonal heavy showers that lashed parts of Nashik district on Thursday, with officials estimating a 12%-15%. decline in overall production, this season.The state agriculture department's primary assessment showed the highest losses in Malegaon with 1,646 hectares affected, followed closely by Satana where 1,598 hectares were hit. The remaining 950 hectares of crop loss has been reported from Nandgaon, Niphad and Sinnar talukas.This year, the area under summer onion cultivation in Nashik had already seen a decrease, with the acreage dropping by about 10% to 1.6 lakh hectares from last year's 1.8 lakh hectares. Officials said summer onion production could decline by 12%-15%, this season, with sudden showers damaging nearly 4,500 hectares of crop. The output will likely fall from last year's 39 lakh MT to around 34 lakh MT, this year.On Thursday, hailstorms coupled with heavy rain had damaged crops on nearly 7,000 hectares across the district. Summer onions accounted for the maximum loss, while pomegranate orchards suffered extensive damage with 1,377 hectares affected — including 1,264 hectares in Malegaon alone.Meanwhile, summer onion arrivals in the district's APMCs have seen a gradual rise over the last 10 days. Late kharif onions continue to dominate the market — accounting for nearly 80% of the arrivals. On Friday, around 3,600 quintals of summer onions were auctioned at Lasalgaon APMC, the country's largest wholesale onion market, at an average price of Rs1,250 per quintal. Prices ranged between Rs555 and Rs1,500 per quintal. Late kharif onions fetched an average of Rs890 per quintal, with 10,200 quintals auctioned on the same day.Farmers said they are distressed by the sharp fall in wholesale prices over the last three months. Onion farmer Nivrutti Nyaharkar said, "The cost of production is around Rs1,800 per quintal. We suffer heavy losses if the selling price falls below that. Prices have remained below cost for months now. We want the state govt to provide a grant of Rs1,500 per quintal to farmers who have sold onions at a loss."Kharif and late kharif onions last only 25-30 days, while summer onions have a shelf life of six to seven months — making the latter crucial for market stability. These are harvested in March-April and sustain supply till the kharif crops arrive by mid‑October. A disruption in the cycle often leads to scarcity.