Onion prices finally start falling

A very good garvi harvest of onions in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka has tremendously increased the amount of commodity arriving at the wholesale markets all over the State.

In Pune alone the number of trucks carrying onions from various parts of the State mainly from Parner and Saswad has reached a figure of 40 per day. Currently the price of good quality onions in the local wholesale market is ranging between Rs 80 and 90 and that of average quality onions between Rs 100 and 140.

Nashik, the country8217;s largest onion producing belt, which faced the brunt of monsoon vagary, is now inching back towards its original production capacity.

Currently the markets of Nashik, Lasalgaon and Niphad are receiving a supply of 500 tractors of onions per day from where they are being sent to other markets. In Pune, onions from Nashik are being sold at the rate of Rs 60 to 90 per kilo.

Meanwhile, a record harvest of the commodity in Gujarat has given rise to the possibility of further slide in its price. The Bhavnagar, Mahuva and Rajkot markets in the State are registering a daily supply of 100 trucks of onions.

The traders have projected a further slide in the price of onions after January 15. Subsequently the price is expected to stabilise at Rs 5 to 6 per kilo in the city.

Meanwhile, fearing surplus8217; availability of onions in coming days the Haveli Agriculture Produces Market Committee has requested the Government to lift the ban on export of the commodity. Various exporters have also started raising the demand to lift the ban so as to prevent further fall in prices. They are contending that further slide in prices will affect the farmers who are selling onions with very low profit margins.

It may be noted that due to the previous poor harvest, farmers had to buy seeds at the rate ranging from Rs 1,000 to 1,500, nearly four times the normal price.