Mumbai, Pune Rain: How heavy showers in Maharashtra could bring tears to your kitchen
Unseasonal rainfall across onion-growing regions of Maharashtra, including key regions like Nashik and Pune, has damaged large quantities of crops, raising fears of reduced supply and a possible rise in prices. For consumers in cities, this could soon mean higher onion bills at local markets. Several districts in the state have experienced heavy rainfall since early May. The rains, coming at the end of the Rabi harvesting season, have hit harvested and standing onion crops, pushing farmers into fresh losses and disrupting the supply chain. As a result, farmers are facing substantial crop losses, which could lead to reduced market supply and potential price hikes for consumers in the coming weeks.
Rain damages onion harvests across major growing districts
Onion-growing regions, including Konkan, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur, Amravati and Nagpur have experienced continuous rainfall since May 6. Farmers in Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Beed, Dharashiv, Akola, Jalna, Buldhana and Jalgaon have also reported crop losses due to the unexpected downpour.
"Unseasonal rains have lashed onion-growing districts of Dhule, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Solapur, Beed, Dharashiv, Akola, Jalna, Buldhana, and Jalgaon. Prices were already down and have further slumped due to unseasonal rains," Bharat Dighole, founder-president of the Maharashtra State Onion Producers Farmers Association told PTI.
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Market supply hit as stored and standing crops suffer
According to Dighole, many farmers who harvested early, before March, managed to secure a decent yield. However, those who waited till April or May have seen their crops hit by extreme heat followed by rain. The sudden shift in weather has affected both harvested onions stored in open fields and standing crops still awaiting harvest.
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"Farmers who have harvested the crop before March this year have got good yield per acre, and those harvesting in April-May haven't been lucky, as the crop has faced excessive heat and unseasonal rains. Several farmers do not have storage facilities, and those who store their produce in the fields have been worst affected in the rains since May 6," he said.
Prices low for now, but supply may tighten
As of May 20, the average onion price in Lasalgaon market — one of the largest wholesale markets for onions — stood at ₹1,150 per quintal. With a possible decline in market arrivals due to damaged crops, wholesale prices may see upward pressure in the near term.
Onion acreage reached record high this year
In 2024–25, onion was cultivated across 6,51,965 hectares in Maharashtra, a significant jump from 4,64,884 hectares in 2023–24 and 5,53,212 hectares in 2022–23. Nashik alone accounted for 2,90,136 hectares this year, making it the largest contributor.
Exports remain strong despite past restrictions
Despite repeated restrictions on exports imposed by the Union government since 2019, India has maintained a steady volume of outbound onion shipments. Maharashtra remains the country's leading onion exporter.
"In 2018-19, 21.83 lakh tonnes of onions were exported, bringing in Rs 3,468 crore in foreign currency. In 2019-20, 11.49 lakh tonnes were exported, and the revenue was Rs 2,320 crore. It was 15.73 lakh tonnes and Rs 3,432 crore in 2021-22, and in 2022-23, we exported 25.25 lakh tonnes of onions and earned Rs 4,522 crore. The figure was 17.17 lakh tonnes and Rs 3,922 crore for 2023-24," Dighole said.
Farmers urge policy clarity on domestic demand
Dighole called for a clearer national production estimate to help plan both domestic distribution and export strategies.
"In such a scenario, there will be no scarcity, and consumers can get affordable onions. When
onion prices
rise, the government steps in to control it by levying export duty, minimum export prices and banning exports. Farmers suffer because of it," he said.
As the rain clouds linger over Maharashtra, the price of onions may soon start to reflect the damage done in the fields — with household budgets in urban centres like Mumbai and Pune likely to feel the pinch.
(Inputs from PTI)
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