Measures from the Central government have been taken to maintain sufficient availability of onion to domestic consumers at affordable prices as the quantity of stored rabi 2023 onion is declining.
New Delhi: Consumers expressed concern amid skyrocketing price rise of onion and urged the Central government to take additional steps to bring it down. The price of onion has touched Rs 80 per kg in Mumbai and many other parts of the country. Last week, the Centre imposed Minimum Export Price for onions and procurement of additional 2 lakh tonnes of onion for buffer stocks.
A buyer in Mumbai said, “The prices of onions have increased so much. The rate is Rs 80 per kg. It may go up to Rs 150. We request the government to decrease prices.”
Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, such as Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, a vegetable seller Manoj stated said prices have soared due to the shortage in supply.
“We are getting onions for Rs 60 to 65 from mandi. Customers are not buying the onions due to rising costs. There is a shortage of supply too,” he said.
Akhilesh Kumar, who came to purchase vegetables at a mandi in Agra said, “Prices are too high. Our consumption of onions has decreased. Earlier we used to take 1-2 kgs. Now we are just buying 250 gm. Currently, the prices are around Rs 80 per kg.”
Rahul, a vegetable seller in Kanpur, requested the intervention of the government and said that the stock has been destroyed due to recent rains.
“The main reason for the rise in prices is the heavy rains. All stock has been destroyed. There is a shortage of supply. Going forward, prices will continue to rise. I request the government to intervene in this situation,” he said.
The measure from the Central government has been taken to maintain sufficient availability of onion to domestic consumers at affordable prices as the quantity of stored rabi 2023 onion is declining.
Along with the decision to impose MEP on onion exports, the government has also announced the procurement of an additional 2 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer, over and above the 5 lakh tonnes already procured.
Onion Price in Various Cities:
Chandigarh:
Within just seven days, the price of onions has gone up by 100% at the city’s apni mandis, going up from Rs 35 per kg on October 23 to Rs 70 per kg on October 29.
Pune:
Likewise, the price of onion in Pune’s retail market has gone up with onion being sold at Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kg on Monday, which is up from Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg just three days ago. This is primarily due to short supply and increase in demand.