No respite from rising onion prices

No respite from rising onion prices

PUNE: The increasing prices of onions can to surely bring tears in the eyes of the consumers as the wholesale prices of onions at Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Pune have increased by Rs 10 in the last month. However, the prices might further accelerate as the stocked onion was destroyed due to extreme weather and due to the erratic monsoon season, the sowing of onion was also delayed. The new produce is likely to arrive only in November.

“The onions in the stock saw a reduction and therefore, in the last five days, onion prices have increased by Rs 5. As there is still time for the new produce to arrive in the market, there are chances that onion prices might increase by Rs 30-Rs 35 in the coming months. However, the situation will improve after Diwali once the new produce arrives,” said APMC Vegetable Head Dattaraya Kalamkar.

The wholesale price of onions at Lasalgaon, one of the largest onion markets, has reached Rs 23.95 on Friday.  The wholesale price of onions was soaring at Rs 26-Rs 27 in other parts of Maharashtra. 

“Around 60 per cent of the total supply was of good quality as the onion stock got ruined due to the rains. There is still time for the Kharif season onions to come into the market. Hence, there are chances of further acceleration in the prices in the coming month,” said Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Traders and Agents Association President Vilas Bhujbal.

Sowing in Kharif season delayed

“Stocked onions were ruined due to excessive heat in the month of May-June followed by the incessant monsoon. Almost 30 to 40 per cent of the stock was destroyed due to extreme weather,” said Gangadhar Maruti Chindhe, an onion farmer from Ahmednagar.

“Due to the late monsoon, the sowing of onion also got delayed. We have not even started sowing. This will delay the new crops and prices can increase further. But if there was supply from Karnataka, there will be a control in the prices,” he said. 

“A total of 30 to 40 per cent stock onion was destroyed and in Nashik, sowing of onions has gotten delayed due to too much water in the fields. The new crop will arrive only after November,” said Godadharna Farmer Producer Company and Nashik Eknath Sanap, an onion farmer from Sinnar.

Exporting to others

Department of Consumer Affairs in a press release dated August 21 reviewed the price situation of onions in New Delhi and decided that onion for retailing by Safal was being made available from the buffer stock. The retail price of onions will not be allowed to exceed Rs 23.90.

Maha FPC, a state-level supporter for NAFED, procured an amount 25,000 MT of onions from Maharashtra. Maha FPC Managing Director Yogesh Thorat said, “We have been monitoring the prices of onion in metro cities and have started the offloading. A total of 2,500 MT of onions procured from the State has been supplied to the cities like New Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Chennai, etc, and some stock is in the transit mode.”

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