Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: The steep rise in onion prices have come as a double whammy for the Indian middle class who is already reeling under severe pressure from high inflation
Also read: Centre importing 10,000 tonnes onion
Onion prices have soared by 25 to 30 percent in Rajkot and by almost 40 percent in rest of the Saurashtra region.
Prices in July usually tend to be higher because the supply goes down and the onset of monsoon season also affects the onion quality.
Also read: Delhi govt to sell onions at Rs 30 per kg
With onion prices rising up to Rs 40 per kg in the national capital, the government has ordered to import 10,000 tonnes of the kitchen staple form countries including Pakistan, China, Egypt.
Onion prices at Lasalgaon mandi in Nashik, which sets price trend of bulb across the country, have increase by 66 percent to Rs 25 per kg from Rs 15 per kg, since the start of last month.
Also read: Wholesale onion prices touch 22-month high
Much of the Rabi (winter) onion crop is stored to meet the demand in lean period. But this year, most of the onion kept in storage is of poor quality as the Rabi crop got damaged due to unseasonal rains in early March.
Iqbal bhai,an onion merchant said, “ New crop is not coming since last one month. Heavy rains in various parts, especially in Mahuva and other cities of Saurashtra have further led to a crisis like situation”.
