Onion selling for ₹35 per kg in wholesale market

Daily, over 100 truckfuls of onion come to Market Yard but Sunday, the number went down to 70 truckfuls

The onion rate in the wholesale market at Market Yard on Sunday rose to ₹35 per kg. While the rates typically rise after Dussehra, they have gone up well in advance this year due to heavy rain in the past two months and the consequent damage caused to the onion crop.

Many of the suppliers and farmers did not send their stock due to the heavy rain over the past two days. (HT PHOTO)

Ritesh Poman, onion trader at Market Yard, said, “Since the past four to five days, the onion rate in the wholesale market at Market Yard is on the rise. Today, the rate is ₹35 per kg. This is mainly due to the heavy rain in the past two months and damage caused to onion stocked by many farmers. Normally, this situation of onion rates going above ₹30 per kg comes after Dussehra but this year, it has come two months earlier.”

Another onion trader at Market Yard, Kishore Barne, said, “The onion rate will keep on increasing now as there has been shortage of supply to Pune city as a large amount of onion from the state goes to southern India. This will result in the onion rate rising in Pune as well as other cities of Maharashtra. In retail markets, onion rate has gone up to ₹40 to 50 per kg now.”

Daily, over 100 truckfuls of onion come to Market Yard but Sunday, the number went down to 70 truckfuls. Many of the suppliers and farmers did not send their stock due to the heavy rain over the past two days.

Meanwhile, citizens are concerned about the rise in price of this kitchen staple. Shweta Karande a housewife, said, “Today when I went to buy vegetables at Mandai market, it came as a shock to see onion selling at ₹45 per kg in the market. As the Shravan (holy month in Hindu calendar) month is going on, many people avoid eating onion but the rate is still high. We hope the rate falls after Navratri.”