The price of onion, one of the important ingredients of the kitchen is likely to come down as the supply has increased with by around 30 percent at the wholesale market in Vashi. The retail price of onion is likely to come down at Rs 25 per kg.
Since August-September last year, the price of the onion is not coming down. Due to excess rainfall, the crops damaged and there was very little arrival during November-December.
The supply of the commodity at the Kanda-Batata market at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi was around 7000 quintals during August that came down to just 4350 quintals in December with a sharp 40 percent dip. The average price of onion had reached over Rs 45 per kg in the Kanta-Batata market in APMC Vashi. The retail price had even touched Rs 70 to Rs 100 per kg depending upon the quality.
Even the onion available in the market is substandard. “Premium quality onions were exported during the lockdown and now, only farmers have onion available which were damaged due to rainy weather,” said a trader.
As per the market administration, the arrival of onion has reached 100 trucks per day which are sufficient to cater Mumbai and the MMR area. “With a good supply, the price is likely to come down within a week,” said Bhupen Shah, a trader at APMC’s Onion-Potato market.
During November-December, the arrival of onion at the wholesale market had come down to 25 trucks per day and even the quality was poor. “The present supply is almost four times of that time and so the price will start reflecting in the retail markets too,” added the trader.
