It is reported that the big onion farmers are helpless due to the Galenbindunuwewa agricultural advisory officers who sold the onion seeds obtained at low prices in fake packages claiming to be Ceylon big onion (local) seeds.
It has been about four months since the beginning of the big onion cultivation in the last Yala season in Dutuwewa, Peruttupolagama, Dutuwewa 11 and 12 divisions, Gatalawa, Hurulugama, Kivulekada and many other villages in the Galenbindunuwewa Divisional Secretariat area in the Anuradhapura District, which is not lesser than paddy cultivation.
Big onion farmers in many villages, including Dutuwewa Peratupolagama, who reap a successful harvest every year except in the event of a natural disaster, have been brought to this situation by officials of the Galenbindunuwewa Agrarian Advisory Office.
Farmers affected by the Corona epidemic have relied heavily on the onion harvest this year as well as in other years in the midst of various hardships. Milegaswewa Shakthi Production Society in the Galenbindunuwewa area, which has been a government-approved big onion seed producer in the area for many years, obtains large onion seeds from outstations as well.
The farmers allege that the failure of the farmers who had reaped a successful harvest on the trust established between the institution and the farmers for many years is due to the intervention of the officials of the Galenbindunuwewa Agricultural Advisory Office. The officials of the Galenbindunuwewa Agricultural Consultancy Office said that a large quantity of counterfeit onion seeds were fraudulently sold at a low price using packages belonging to the above farmers’ organization.
Farmers have pointed out that although a kilo of Indian big onion seeds can fetch between Rs.8,000-10,000 and farmers have been confident for many years that they can increase their income from the harvest, even though the price of a kilo of Ceylon big onion seeds, which can be harvested in a short period of time, is between Rs.20,000-25,000.
However, farmers have been cultivating more than 500 kilos of onion seeds throughout the Galenbindunuwewa farming colony. They demanded that if they could not make up for the loss, they would face severe hardship and that the relevant authorities would have to intervene to cover the loss of the farmers.
