Why onion availability, price remain unaffected in Pune despite national shortage, trade-halt in Nashik market?

Since Monday wholesale markets of Nashik have seen no trade as traders and commission agents boycotted the business over the imposition of 40 per cent import duty on the bulb by the central government. The government took the decision in order to ease onion prices in domestic markets which have been on the rise over the last few weeks.

“The normal arrival of 9,000-10,000 quintals is constant. We have enough onion to meet the needs of Pune and its nearby markets,” Korpe said. This is mostly because of the fact that onion is also an important crop in Pune, Satara and Sangli.

At present, onions in Pune market are being traded between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,500 per quintal. Both arrival and prices have been constant since the last few weeks in the city. Pune’s market unlike that of Nashik or Lasalgaon is a tertiary market; ie it feeds directly to urban consumer and thus other than farmers even traders from Satara, Ahmednagar or even Karnataka brings their produce to be sold here.

In the retail market, onion prices have seen a slight increase. This is mainly due to low quality of the stored produce. Onion growers have complained of losses to their stored produce due to unseasonal rains and hail in March.