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Stock from Delhi may help tame onion prices
Lucknow Uttar Pradesh is waiting for the imported onion stock from Delhi to deal with the demand-supply crisis and have some control on the sky-rocketing prices
Lucknow Uttar Pradesh is waiting for the imported onion stock from Delhi to deal with the demand-supply crisis and have some control on the sky-rocketing prices of the staple vegetable in UP amid soaring retail prices (up to Rs 120-140 per kg) in many cities.
Statewide raids are also being carried out on retailers to rule out the possibility of hoarding as a factor contributing to the current crisis. So far, not many cases of hoarding have come to fore.
The UP government had requested the centre to make 15,000 quintals of onion available to it every week. The central government, which is importing onions from countries like Turkey, Egypt and Afghanistan in keeping with requirements sent by the states, may make the first installment available to UP by mid-December.
“We are expecting to get 15,000 quintals of onion every week from the Centre very soon, after which the consumers in the state may get some relief from the soaring onion prices resulting from the demand supply gap that has been created due to decreased production in the chief onion growing states like Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan,” said SB Sharma, horticulture director.
He said the imported onions to be sourced from the Centre might reach end consumers for around Rs 65 per kg through government mandis, public distribution system shops etc.
The state Horticulture-Co-operative Marketing Federation (HOFED), he said, was making arrangements in this regard.
Meanwhile, the food and civil supplies department directed the district magistrates to conduct raids at retailers’ places and take tough action, if they are found violating the stock limit to indulge in hoarding of onions.
“After the Centre recently halved the onion stock limit from 500 quintals to 250 quintals for retailers, we have asked our officers and DMs to verify stock limits and take action in case any retailer is found to be guilty of hoarding,” said Manish Chauhan, commissioner, food and civil supplies.
“However, cases of hoarding are not being found,” he said.
The crisis was due to the demand-supply gap in the state and not because of hoarding, emphasised Chauhan.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her reply during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, informed the House that there had been fall in the area of onion cultivation as well as shortfall in production this year.
“Steps taken by the government to curb spiralling prices include ban on exports, reducing and imposing stock limit and transfer from surplus to deficit states,” she said.
According to sources, UP is an onion deficit state and grows only 50% of its annual requirement. “The state is seriously thinking of substantially increasing the area of onion production,” they said.
SOME RELIEF BY MID-DEC?
*UP government had requested the centre to make 15,000 quintals of onion available to it every week.
*“We are expecting to get 15,000 quintals of onion every week from the Centre very soon, after which consumers may get some relief from the soaring prices,” said SB Sharma, horticulture director.
*Imported onions to be sourced from the Centre might reach end consumers for around Rs 65 per kg through government mandis, public distribution system shops etc, he said.
