The impact of Phailin cyclone in the coastal and eastern states of the country has reached the vegetable markets of Delhi sending the price of onion once again out of the reach of common man.
Onion in Delhi was sold over Rs 60 per kg in wholesale markets and consumers had to purchase it at Rs 70 to Rs 80 per kg on Saturday in retail markets. According to wholesalers, the price will go up further till supply of new crop starts from Haryana and Rajasthan in the first week of November.
‘The recent cyclone and rain has devastated onion crop in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi is receiving onion mainly from Nasik and Rajasthan,’ said Rajiv Batra, a wholesale trader in Keshavpur wholesale market in Delhi. He further added that he had to spend Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,500 for every 40 kg sack of onion coming from Nasik and Rs 2,300 for the same amount supplied from Rajasthan. Similarly, in the wholesale markets of Okhla, Ghazipur and Azadpur onion was sold above Rs 60 per kg.
Interestingly, the wholesalers revealed that the recent decrease in the price of onion was not due to any effort of the government but due to decreased consumption during Navratras. ‘The consumption of onion goes down to nearly 10 per cent during the auspicious Navratras as people avoid eating onions during this period,’ added Batra.
He further said that he used to sell up to 500 sacks of onion during normal days which were only 20 sacks per day during Navratras. ‘I purchased five kg of onion at Rs 80 per kg as traders say the prices will increase further in coming days,’ said Rachana, homemaker in South Extension area.
‘The incompetence of the Congress government in managing vegetable supplies to Delhi has pushed the wholesale prices of onions again up to Rs 80 kg,’ said Rajiv Babbar, spokesperson of Delhi BJP.
Babbar, who had sold onions in his area is now in a fix due to imposition of model code of conduct ahead of the assembly elections. The minister of food and civil supplies Haroon Yusuf could not be contacted for comment.
The wholesalers say the price of onion will come down slightly in the first week of November but will stay around Rs 60 per kg in retail markets due to poor supply.
Onion in Delhi was sold over Rs 60 per kg in wholesale markets and consumers had to purchase it at Rs 70 to Rs 80 per kg on Saturday in retail markets. According to wholesalers, the price will go up further till supply of new crop starts from Haryana and Rajasthan in the first week of November.
‘The recent cyclone and rain has devastated onion crop in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi is receiving onion mainly from Nasik and Rajasthan,’ said Rajiv Batra, a wholesale trader in Keshavpur wholesale market in Delhi. He further added that he had to spend Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,500 for every 40 kg sack of onion coming from Nasik and Rs 2,300 for the same amount supplied from Rajasthan. Similarly, in the wholesale markets of Okhla, Ghazipur and Azadpur onion was sold above Rs 60 per kg.
Interestingly, the wholesalers revealed that the recent decrease in the price of onion was not due to any effort of the government but due to decreased consumption during Navratras. ‘The consumption of onion goes down to nearly 10 per cent during the auspicious Navratras as people avoid eating onions during this period,’ added Batra.
He further said that he used to sell up to 500 sacks of onion during normal days which were only 20 sacks per day during Navratras. ‘I purchased five kg of onion at Rs 80 per kg as traders say the prices will increase further in coming days,’ said Rachana, homemaker in South Extension area.
‘The incompetence of the Congress government in managing vegetable supplies to Delhi has pushed the wholesale prices of onions again up to Rs 80 kg,’ said Rajiv Babbar, spokesperson of Delhi BJP.
Babbar, who had sold onions in his area is now in a fix due to imposition of model code of conduct ahead of the assembly elections. The minister of food and civil supplies Haroon Yusuf could not be contacted for comment.
The wholesalers say the price of onion will come down slightly in the first week of November but will stay around Rs 60 per kg in retail markets due to poor supply.