Within a fortnight, the price of onion started soaring in the retail market due to a dip in supply. The retail price of one of the most important ingredients in the kitchen has again reached Rs 50 per kg. It had come down to Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kg with good supply during January.
Homemakers have a tough time as their monthly budget goes for a toss due to frequent price rise in essential commodities. At a time when most of the household’s income has come down drastically due to COVID-19, the skyrocketing price of essential commodities derailed the monthly budget of many households.
In last fortnight, onion price in the retail doubled. The average price of onion at the wholesale market has reached Rs 35 per kg owning to poor supply.
In mid-January, the supply of onion at the Kanda-Batata market at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi was around 12,000 quintals with the average price was Rs 15 per kg. However, the supply came down to just 8300 quintals on February 10 with a sharp 30 percent dip.
According to traders at APMC, there is a sudden dip in the supply of new crop of onion from Nasik and Pune. “Around 100 trucks loaded with onion was arriving in the market that came down to 70 to 80 trucks,”
said a trader from APMC. He added that once supply from Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh start, the price will come down.
