While the prices of onions touched Rs 80 per kilogram in August and September, prices have again shot up due to a shortage, triggered by unseasonal rainfall leading to crop damage in the main onion growing zones in Maharashtra.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Onion prices on the rise across the country again
- Damage to fresh crops due to unseasonal rains in Maharashtra have led to a shortage
- Traders said that prices could go up further if the rains continue to damage crops
While the prices of onions touched Rs 80 per kilogram in August and September, prices have again shot up due to a shortage, triggered by unseasonal rainfall leading to crop damage in the main onion growing zones in Maharashtra.
According to reports, the average price of onions at the benchmark Lasalgaon wholesale market was at Rs 55.50 per kilogram. Traders fear a further spike in onion prices as a high amount of crops have been damaged by the unseasonal November rains.
Rains have been battering the key onion growing zones over the last two weeks and an Indian Express report indicated that extensive damage to onions was caused by the rains in Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune.
Onion prices around the country had only recovered last month, but it seems that customers will again have to pay exorbitant rates for the bulb. Prices of onions are in the range of Rs 60-90 per kilogram across the country.
Some farmers have already expressed grave concern over the rains as most of them are now selling old stocks as all-new onions have been damaged.
With prices fast approaching Rs 100 per kilogram, it can be concluded that there has been a four-fold rise in onion prices during the last three months in the wholesale markets. As a result, retail prices of onions have seen a sharper jump.
Onion farmers also said that the prices of old stocks will be higher as the new ones have been damaged by the rains and production of old stocks was low last year.
Prasanta Patnaik