Rising onion prices to pinch pockets of common people
    Date :22-Oct-2020

onion prices _1 &nbs
 
 
Business Reporter :
 
RAIPUR,
 
In Raipur, onion prices in wholesale market ranges between Rs 50 and 70 per kg, while in retail, prices is between Rs 80 and Rs 90 per kg
 
The prices are expected to ease-off after Diwali with the arrival of new crops 
 
Onion prices has zoomed in wholesale and retail market, going out of reach of the common people in Raipur and across State. In Raipur, onion is sold at the wholesale price of Rs 50 to 70 per kg, while the retail price in local market ranges between Rs 80 to Rs 90 per kg, recording a steep rise of 100 per cent on Wednesday. Weather played a major role in determining onion prices with damage of crops by severe rainfall in south and huge stock got stuck in floods ravaged areas of onion-producing states in Central India hitting supply in Chhattisgarh and across the country.
 
Though the quality of excessively stored moisture affected produce is already inferior, the gradual deterioration in quality while being transported is also a major reason in escalation of prices in the local market. While talking to The Hitavada, President of Alu Pyaj Vyapari Sangh Ajay Agrawal said, “Excessive monsoon rains in onion producing states damaged the sowed crops and the increase in moisture content deteriorated the quality of onions stored after last bumper crop yield in the Rabi season. Besides damage of crops, in the flood ravaged Southern onion producing states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, heavy rainfall in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh has deteriorated the quality of onions stacked in the warehouses”. Agrawal said that onion is loaded from mandis in Maharashtra under rainy and moist conditions and when it reaches Raipur, here the weather is very hot.
 
So, the onion coming from major wholesale mandis is damp and always risky to transport to Chhattisgarh and other states on longer routes. The deteriorated condition of onion has reached the ‘use-n-throw’ stage and if transported without precaution will incur huge losses to the local onion traders. Thus, the old stock, though of low quality has been procured with utmost checking and risk to cater to the demand locally and in State. He further said that adequate quantity of onion is arriving in the local wholesale market that generally needs 300 to 400 tonne of onions daily in Raipur district.
 
The prices are expected to ease-off after Diwali with the arrival of new crops, he added. Ajay Agrawal said, “all wholesalers at Bhanpuri and other market places in the city are appealed to sell onion to the customers arriving for small quantity at a profit margin of Rs 1 or Rs 2. He also appealed all onion sellers not to charge abnormal prices and create panic among the customers. Though, the prices have increased for a natural reason, onion is available and there is no shortage in the market”.