Nashik: The wholesale price of onions of the summer variety rose to Rs 11,000 per quintal i.e. Rs 110/kg on Monday during auction at the Kalwan Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) here in Maharashtra. Concerned by the rising prices of onions, the Centre on Monday also asked the states to impose stock limits on traders and to ensure strict action against hoarding.
Monday was the first trading day of December and the wholesale price of the summer crop of onions was the highest this season in Nashik district, a major producer of the vegetable, APMC sources said.
The previous highest wholesale auction price of onions was Rs 9,000 per quintal recorded at the Kalwan APMC last month, they said.
During the morning session, summer onions were auctioned at minimum Rs 4,000 per quintal and maximum Rs 11,000 a quintal, they said.
The average price was Rs 10,000-10,300 per quintal at the Kalwan APMC, the sources said.
Onions brought in 129 vehicles were auctioned at the APMC on Monday, they said.
In August, onion prices ranged between Rs 1,000-3,000 per quintal and the average price was Rs 2,400 per quintal.
The prices increased in September when they ranged between Rs 3,000-4,000 per quintal and the average price was Rs 3,200 per quintal.
In October, the maximum price increased to Rs 4,500 per quintal and the average price was Rs 3,800.
In November, the maximum price reached the Rs 9,000 a quintal mark, whereas the average price was Rs 4,900.
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Meanwhile, at the Lasalgaon APMC, there was no auction of summer onions on Monday.
Instead, red onions brought in around 250 vehicles were auctioned at the Lasalgaon APMC, the country's largest wholesale onion market, the sources said.
The prices ranged between minimum Rs 3,000 per quintal to maximum Rs 8,401 per quintal and the average rate was Rs 7,100 a quintal.
The Rs 8,401 per quintal is the highest auction rate for red onions recorded at the Lasalgaon APMC this season. The previous highest price, Rs 6,565 a quintal, was recorded on last Saturday.
The prices of red onions at the APMC ranged between Rs 1,8006,565 per quintal and the average rate was Rs 5,001, the sources said.
In a review meeting with Committee of Secretaries on onion prices, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba directed the states to maintain considerable buffer stocks, impose stock limits on traders and to ensure strict action against hoarding.
The Cabinet Secretary directed the states that the overall availability of the onions has to be beefed up, considering the temporary shortage, to stabilise the prices. The Centre has already taken a decision on not allowing the export of onions during the current season.
In a video conference held with the Chief Secretaries of the 11 major onion producing states, the Cabinet Secretary was briefed about the various steps being taken by the states to tackle the rising prices of onions.
Chief Secretaries from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana participated in the video conference.
Gauba said that the Union Government has approved the import of 11,000 metric tonnes of onions from Turkey to tide over the situation. The deliveries are expected from the last week of December.
This is in addition to the decision of the government to import 6,900 metric tonnes of onions from Egypt. The deliveries are expected from the second week of December.
The Cabinet Secretary also directed the states to utilise their Food and Civil Supply Departments to procure and distribute onions at reasonable prices.
