Onions change poor farmer's fate, makes him millionaire

The story of Mallikarjuna, a poor Indian farmer, could be among the best example of how fate changes one’s life.

As in the beginning of this year he was under a burden of Indian Rs1.5 million bank loan and there was no hope that he could be able to return this amount, invested in his onion harvest.

However, things suddenly changed for him and the harvest, which he was hoping could give him around a million initially made him a millionaire due to a hike in onion prices in Indian market.

The debt-ridden farmer reaped a bumper harvest of 240 tonnes of onions — just as the price per kilogramme hit Rs200 in the south. Mallikarjuna, who hails from from Doddasiddavvanahalli of Karnataka, has become a celebrity in farming circles.

Mallikajuna said that when he sold the crop in the first week of November the price was around Rs7,000 for 100 kilos but in a few days, it touched Rs12,000.

Also, Mallikarjuna and his family members had to take turns to guard the harvest from onion thieves. Going by Rs200 a kilo, he would have made Indian Rs48 million for 240 tonnes.

According to Indian media reports, the farmer initially owned 10 acres of land and now from the millions of rupees, he had earned, the farmer purchased another 10 acres of land and also hired 50 labourers to work at his harvest.