Onion prices continue to soar as citizens suffer

Onion prices in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have close to tripled — from ₹60/kg on September 30 to ₹150-160/kg on Thursday — in the past two months.

Onion prices in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have close to tripled — from ₹60/kg on September 30 to ₹150-160/kg on Thursday — in the past two months.

HT Image

Onion wholesale prices had touched a record ₹120/kg on Tuesday, forcing retailers to increase the rates.

Traders at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) wholesale market in Vashi, however, said prices could come down in the next 10 days once imported onions arrive. Ashok Walunj, former APMC director and wholesale trader, said, “The extended monsoon has destroyed the onion crop in the state. Owing to decreased supply, prices have increased to record levels not seen in 50 years.”

A total of 103 vehicles carrying onions arrived at the APMC market on Wednesday, of which 25 were bigger trucks carrying old stock of onions that are in demand for their quality. The remaining smaller vehicles brought in the new batch of onions that are smaller. Manohar Totlani, a wholesale trader, said, “The old onions were priced at ₹110 to ₹130 a kg. However, the retailers are settling for a maximum of ₹120 a kg and that too in smaller quantities.”