Taking note of rising price, the Department of Consumer Affairs has directed Mother Dairy to cut the prices of onions by 2 rupees across all variants. Mother Dairy agreed to reduce these rates from Rs 25.90 to Rs 23.90 for the loose variant and from Rs 27.90 to Rs 25.90 for the packed variant at all its stores in the national Capital.
Presently onion prices are likely to go up to Rs 30-40/kg by Diwali this year from the current retail price of Rs 15-20/kg throughout the country. Onion are coming to the markets from the stored stocks.
According to officials of Department of Consumer Affairs, there is no shortage of onion in the country.
Onion price is going upward in the past two weeks. This is despite the fact that consumption of onion was less due to navratra festival in the country.
Traders claimed that the absence of rain for prolonged spells coupled with increased heat waves are likely to reduce the kharif crop size substantially. Till a fortnight ago, traders were expecting only a small increase in prices as harvest of Maharashtra’s kharif onion will be delayed by about three weeks as the stock backlog was high.
Official said the wholesale onion markets in Nashik district will remain closed for 7-8 days during Diwali break, which may also be responsible for the price spike.
The average wholesale price of onion jumped 50 per cent from Rs 12/kg on Friday to Rs 25/kg on Thursday at Lasalgaon APMC.
At the high level review meeting held by Department of Consumers Affairs, it was also that the supply of onion to Delhi from the buffer stock under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF)should be increased by 2-3 timesfrom the current level so as to tide over any constraint in the interim supply of onions in the market. “The implementing agency for the purpose i.e. NAFED has been directed to increase the quantity supplied from PSF stock accordingly.
The situation of Onion Prices and its availability will be constantly reviewed by the committee and appropriate & immediate interventions will be made as required,” officials said. Prices in other major onion growing and consuming centres in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and other states are still ruling at Rs 9-10/kg, barring Alwar in Rajasthan.
“There was no rainfall even during Navaratri. Onion saplings have been wilting at some places, the size of the onion bulb will reduce, lowering the total output of the kharif crop,” said Rajendra Sharma of Delhi APMC.
