Onion prices double within a week
LUCKNOW: Onions are once again burning a hole in household budgets, as its prices have almost doubled in the past week. From being sold for ` 20-25 per kilogram in the retail market, onions are now being sold for ` 45-50 per kg this week.
And vendors apprehend a further rise in the prices. As per estimates, the prices are likely to touch ` 75-80 per kilogram in the coming days.
Wholesalers in the vegetable market say supply from Nasik and Indore-the two leading producers of onion-- has been hampered. Ram Saran Verma, a farmer in Barabanki said, “The onion crop has not been giving good returns to farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and thus some have switched to other crops. This leads to scarcity in the markets and causes prices to shoot up every year during this season.”
However, vendors in retail markets are also blaming wholesalers for piling up stocks and not releasing it in the markets, thus creating a ‘false’ onion crisis. “Thankfully it is sawan and a number of people abstain from eating onion during this holy month, thus demand always falls in Lucknow during this month. Had it been Ramzan or other festive season, the prices would be have risen further,” said Shiv Kumar, a vegetable vendor in the Narhi market.
On the other hand, prices of another crucial vegetable in most households- potato- have seen a dip. The wholesale prices of potato are Rs 4-5 per kg and it being sold at Rs 10 per kg in the retail market. In such a case, potato farmers are the hardest hit. Ram Saran Verma said, “The cost of potato cultivation is Rs 4 and its storage costs Rs 3 per kg. Most farmers selling potato are suffering losses this season.”