New Delhi, Oct. 28 -- Farmers are dumping onions on the roads, as a steep decline in prices in recent months, along with damage from heavy rainfall, has caused losses. Such a sight is not new to India, but this year, the crash in prices of the bulb has occurred on the back of policy interventions-export restrictions and bans-that have tilted the scales against the farmers' interests.

Onion prices undergo periods of sharp rises and corrections, often spanning months; however, the steep decline this year comes despite prices remaining within a range over the past five years.

Whether onion prices surge or plunge, they become a politically charged topic in the country, given their importance in the Indian diet for consumers and commercial n...