Commoner weeps as onion touches Rs 100/kg

There is not a single major city left in the country that is not touched by the costly onion. Reports coming from New Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar suggest that onion prices likely to go up further if effective steps are not taken.

Chennai, Bhubaneswar, New Delhi: The retail price of onions has touched as high as Rs 100/kg in retail markets in the country. High prices were noted in Chennai and the national capital due to the long distance from the major producing regions.

There is not a single major city left in the country that is not touched by the costly onion. Reports coming from New Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar suggest that onion prices likely to go up further if effective steps are not taken.

As per the official data, the rates stood at Rs 55/kg on October 1 in Delhi and risen by 45 per cent in the last one week to Rs 80/kg despite the central government's measures to boost supply and contain price rise.

However, customers’ complaint that the ‘official’ prices are not reflecting the real prices in the neighbourhood shops and quality onions are in the range of Rs 90-100/kg.

In Chennai too, there is a similar trend.

In the Koyambedu wholesale market, onion prices reached up to Rs 70/kg. Prices of small onions that are used for sambar are 10 per cent costlier.

Tamil Nadu Cooperation Minister Sellur Raju and Food Minister Kamaraj have jointly held a meeting with officials in state secretariat to bring down onion prices, which is a staple diet in the state. Minister Sellur Raju said that severe action will be taken against onion hoarding and promised that onion will be sold at ₹33 in state's cooperative society retail shops.

Also, state cooperative department officials are headed to Nashik to procure high-quality onions to Tamil Nadu to bring down the prices. Traders predict an upward trend in onion prices in the coming days and said that it may come down in January.

On Wednesday, the government had a high-level meeting at the secretariat to take stock of the situation.

The Odisha government on Tuesday said the price of onions may further go up by Rs 6-10 per kilogram, due to rain in three supplier states.

“Onion prices will go up by another Rs 6-10 as rain in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have affected the supply of onion to Odisha," Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister R P Swain told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

Why are the prices increasing?

Onion prices are ruling high for more than a month in many parts of the country due to supply disruption following heavy rains in major growing states like Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Speaking to ETV Bharat Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Wednesday the prices have shot in the retail market due to 30-40 per cent decline in domestic production and the government is taking all steps to contain the price rise.

In view of high prices, Paswan reviewed the situation of demand, supply and prices with top officials of food and consumer affairs departments for two hours at his residence. The secretaries of both departments were present.

Stops exports and eases imports

On Tuesday, Indian missions in Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have been asked to facilitate the supply of onions to India.

This is expected to facilitate immediate import of 80 containers and diversion of 100 containers in the high seas to India.

In the light of public concern over high prices of onions in the market, the Ministry of Agriculture today decided to allow relaxation from the condition of fumigation and endorsement on PSC as per the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 for onion imports up to November 30.

The Agriculture Ministry said that conditions to be met are that such consignments of imported onions which arrive in Indian port without fumigation and endorsement to that effect on the PSC, would be fumigated in India by the importer through an accredited treatment provider.

The consignment would be inspected thoroughly by quarantine officials and released only if found free from pests and diseases of concern to India.

The consignments of onions for consumption will not be subjected to the four times additional inspection fees on account of non-compliance of conditions of import under the PQ Order, 2003.