Onions may once again disappear from your plate. The effect of unseasonal rain and unbridled petrol-diesel prices have resulted in an increase in the prices of onion as well. So much that onion prices have increased more than double in the last few weeks. The onion which was being sold at the beginning of the year for Rs 25-30 per kg is being sold for Rs 60-70 rupees per kg.
Why onion is getting expensive
1. Due to unseasonal rains during December-January last year, onion crop of farmers in Maharashtra was ruined. Due to lack of production, supply also decreased and now the effect is visible on prices. Onion prices have more than doubled in the last few weeks. On Thursday, in the APMC market of Navi Mumbai, only 80-90 cartons of onion arrived, whereas on the normal days there were 150 cartons, that means the supply has come down by 40%.
2. Onion sold at a wholesale price of Rs 30-40 per kg in APMC market on Thursday. In the retail markets of Mumbai, Thane and Pune, this onion is being sold from Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg. Due to supply constraints, the wholesale rate of onion in Lasalgaon, the country's largest wholesale onion market, has increased from 15% to 20% in the last 10 days. According to the website of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, onion price in retail is Rs 54 per kg.
3. Traders say that the Kharif crop that arrived late is almost over. The Kharif crop is sown between June and July, which is harvested in November-December. When late Kharif sowing occurs in August-October, it is harvested after December. This late crop is supplied in the market at this time, in which most of the crop has been ruined due to rain.
4. On the other hand, the continuous rise of diesel prices is also a major reason, because freight has become expensive. In January and February, the price of petrol has been increased on 17 days, but during this time diesel has become expensive by Rs 4.51 per litre. On January 1, the price of diesel in Delhi was Rs 73.87 per litre, today it is Rs 78.38.
When will onions be cheaper?
Suvarna Jagtap, the chairperson of Lasalgaon APMC, says that supply from the South Indian markets has also fallen and Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh also aren't giving much supply. Apart from this, the government has also opened exports in January, due to which the prices have increased by Rs 1000 per quintal. The new onion stocks will start coming in the first week of March, after which prices are expected to come down.
