Dake was reading out a statement on an adjournment motion in the absence of Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. He said onion producers in Nashik, Pune and Ahmednagar districts staged demonstrations following massive fall in the prices on account of bumper harvest.

Dake said the government had appealed to National Agriculture Federation to purchase the onion and increase its export, but the prices had fallen to Rs 180 per quintal.

Dake informed the House that last year 30,000 metric tonne onion was exported as against 20,000 metric tonne up to April this year.

The government was also endeavouring to increase the availability of goods trains for transporting onion and also domestic consumption of onion produce, he added.