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Maharashtra Onion Stock: The general public is troubled by rising inflation across the country. Now danger is also looming on onion. Due to which the Maharashtra government took a big step. But somewhere this step proved wrong. To curb rising onion prices, the government had created a buffer stock by purchasing onions on a large scale from farmers; But, now such reports are coming that the same government stock is getting spoiled in Lasalgaon in Nashik district of Maharashtra, during which the onions have rotted badly. Yes! For your information, let us tell you that a large quantity of onions have been found rotting in the CWC warehouse located on Lasalgaon-Manmad Road; The sacks are infested with insects and the foul smell is spreading in the area. The black, smelly liquid oozing from rotting onions is also causing a lot of problems.

How much onion did the government buy?

For your information, let us tell you that the Maharashtra government had set a target of creating a buffer stock of 2 lakh tonnes of onion for the financial year 2026-27. Procurement started on 15 May through NAFED and NCCF. According to the Centre, till August 26, about 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion had been purchased. Whereas in Maharashtra, the procurement rate was increased to ₹ 2,125 per quintal from July 4. The procured onions were stored at various places, including Nashik, so that they could be released in the market to provide relief to consumers in case of surge in prices.

News of onion getting spoiled in warehouse

At the same time, it became very difficult for the government to buy such huge quantities of onion. The news of onion spoilage in Lasalgaon CWC warehouse has raised many big questions on the storage system. Regarding this, local sources say that insects and larvae have been found in many sacks, and the smell of rotting onions has spread to the area around the warehouse. Citing a senior NAFED official, reports have estimated that about 30 percent of the buffer stock has been damaged. However, official figures regarding the exact quantity of onions spoiled in this specific warehouse in Lasalgaon have not been released yet.

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This is how onions get spoiled

Questions began to arise as to how such a large quantity of onion got spoiled. Officials cited the poor quality of onion and unusual rainfall this year as the reason for its spoilage. However, the question is, if there were moisture or quality problems, how effective were the measures taken for scientific drying, grading and periodic inspection of the stock? The PSF guidelines also emphasize on scientific storage, regular quality checks and timely disposal of spoiled stocks for perishable agricultural products like onions.