Big onion cultivators fear market collapse amid unrestricted Imports

By Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa  

Big onion cultivators have misgivings that they would be left without a remunerative market for their produce in the Yala season harvest, which is going on now, unless the government restricts imports.  

They said that they had been in a serious predicament in the previous years owing to the importation of big onions in almost unlimited quantities during the harvesting season. They pointed out that harvesting of big onions in several areas, including Dambulla, Galewela and Galkiriyagama has commenced and that the current wholesale prices of big onions at Dambulla Economic Centre is between Rs. 80 and Rs.100.  

They expressed concern about the predicament facing them for want of a profitable market and warned that the prices would further decline if the imports were not restricted.  

A big onion cultivator in Galewela S.S.Ratnapala said the farmers trusted the government’s promise that the big onion farmer would be provided a remunerative market, but they were in a predicament owing to the import of big onions from India and Pakistan. He said he cultivated 25 acres of big onions costing Rs. 34 million, but he has been left without a minimum profit to meet the expenses.