Onion prices are on the verge of tears. Onion, which was sold at Rs 20 to Rs 30 per kg till yesterday, has reached Rs 80 to Rs 100 today. Onion is being sold at Rs 80 per kg in the country’s capital. Onion sellers in the market say that there has been a sudden increase in onion prices. He says that onion is coming less in the market. The less the stock comes, the more the prices will increase. Instead of 100 vehicles, 50 vehicles are coming. Last week onion was Rs 30 per kg.
Onion sellers in Delhi say that due to less supply, onion prices have increased from Rs 65 to Rs 80 per kg in the retail market of the national capital. Mother Dairy, which operates around 400 successful retail stores in Delhi-NCR, is selling onions at Rs 67 per kg. Whereas e-commerce portal BigBasket is selling onion at the rate of Rs 67 per kg, while OTP is selling it at the rate of Rs 70 per kg. However, at the local level vegetable vendors are selling onions at the price of Rs 80 per kg.
According to the Consumer Affairs Department, the all India average retail price of onion on Saturday was Rs 45 per kg but the maximum price was recorded at Rs 80 per kg. The average price of onion in Delhi is Rs 75 per kg.
According to the ministry, in the states where onion prices are increasing rapidly, onion is being unloaded from the buffer stock in both wholesale and retail markets.
Since mid-August, about 1.7 lakh tonnes of onion has been sent from buffer stock to various places in 22 states.
At the same time, this onion is being sold in the retail markets at a concessional rate of Rs 25 per kg through the sales centers and vehicles of two cooperative bodies NCCF and NAFED. In Delhi also, buffer onion is being sold at the same concessional rate.
A senior official of the ministry said that due to delay in sowing of Kharif onion due to weather related reasons, the area of this crop has reduced and the arrival has been delayed. The arrival of fresh Kharif onions should have started by now but this has not happened.
The official said that the supply situation is bad due to depletion of Rabi onions kept in stock and delay in arrival of Kharif onions. Due to this, onion prices are increasing in both wholesale and retail markets.
Here, regarding the rising prices of onion, Congress accused the Central Government of failing to control inflation and said that the anger of the people troubled by inflation will be clearly visible in the assembly elections of five states. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said that inflation is continuously increasing. It has become difficult for common and poor people to live.