Onion Prices Inch Closer to Rs 150 Per Kg in Most States, Fresh Loads of Imported Onions From Turkey Reach Mangaluru
The government has been checking the rising prices of onions and have taken several measures like ban on exports, imposition of stock limits, import and transfer of onion from surplus to deficit areas. Due to the rising prices, retail sellers said they were buying onion in small amounts due to the rising prices.
Chennai, December 5: Onion prices across the nation have skyrocketed in the last few days due to shortage of the kitchen staple. Onions are being sold at Rs 80-100 per kg in most states, giving consumers a tough time managing their kitchen supplies. Reports inform that the customers are left teary-eyed as the prices are likely to soar in the days to come. The government has been checking the rising prices of onions and have taken several measures like ban on exports, imposition of stock limits, import and transfer of onion from surplus to deficit areas. Due to the rising prices, retail sellers said they were buying onion in small amounts due to the rising prices.
In Delhi-NCR, the retain price of onion was Rs 80-120 per kg, market sources informed. The price, according to the Azadpur wholesale market APMC list, was between Rs 20-62.50 per kg while the arrival of onion stood at 828 tonnes. On Sunday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the central government of trying to create an onion scarcity as the vegetable touched the Rs 100 mark in the national capital. Gujarat: Onions Worth Rs 25,000 Stolen From Outside Shop in Surat.
In Tamil Nadu, onions are being sold for Rs 120-180 in Madurai. Shanmuga Priyan, an onion trader was quoted by ANI saying as onion prices have shot up, customers who were buying 5 kgs are now only buying 2 kgs. "We are selling good quality onions for Rs 180/kg. Lower quality onion is priced between Rs 120-130/kg", he added.
In West Bengal, the prices of onion breached Rs 104 per kilo mark this week in various markets. Reports inform that the state government was unable to give any assurance of the rates coming down citing inadequate production of onions. The retail price was hovering between Rs 100 and Rs 120 over the past few days. Reports inform that Maharashtra supplies about 70,000 tones of onion to Bengal every month.
On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government has taken a host of measures to deal with the rising prices of onions. In Lok Sabha, she also said export of onions have been banned and tender have been floated for its import.
In a bid to control the rising prices of onion, the government imported 11,000 tonnes of the staple vegetable from Turkey. Fresh loads of imported onions from Turkey reached in Mangaluru on December 4. On November 20, the Union Cabinet had approved the import of 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2019 11:54 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).