News
Big onion farmers face crisis amid new Government purchasing standards
View(s):By Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa
Farmers engaged in big onion cultivation are facing an unprecedented crisis this season, alleging that the government is planning to discourage them entirely and halt local cultivation from the next season onwards.
The dispute began after Lanka Sathosa displayed large banners announcing that the government would purchase locally grown big onions in bulk at a fixed price of Rs. 140 per kilogram. Farmers claim they were misled by this announcement, which was presented as part of a government policy to support local producers.
Unrealistic requirements have left many big onion farmers questioning the future of local cultivation. Pix by Kanchana Kumara
However, they now complain that Lanka Sathosa has introduced purchasing standards for local big onion harvests that are both historically unprecedented and practically impossible to meet.
“We were shocked when we saw the fine print detailing the strict purchase standards after bringing our produce to the Sathosa Purchasing Centre at the Dambulla Economic Centre. The core requirement mandates that the size of the onions must be such that eight onions weigh one kilogram. Further, the standards specify that large onions must have a diameter between 35 and 65 millimetres and comply with SLS 1224:2002 (4), which defines good quality,” a farmer said.
S.A. Rathnapala, widely known as the “King of Big Onion Farmers” in the Pattiwala area of Galewela, questioned what support the government had provided to enable the cultivation of large onions meeting such demanding criteria. He also criticised government import policies which, he said, have severely undercut local growers.
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