As Onion rates shoot up, traders eye border

As Onion rates continue to soar high, hopes are yet again set at the border as after a brief gap another consignment of 600 metric tonnes of Afghan onions reached India through the Attari Border.

As Onion rates continue to soar high, hopes are yet again set at the border as after a brief gap another consignment of 600 metric tonnes of Afghan onions reached India through the Attari Border.

HT Image

About 12 truckloads ordered by various traders reached the Integrated Check Post at Attari and will be sent to various markets across the state and to other parts of the country.

As the retail market of the onion has already touched a rate tag between Rs 80 to 100 a kg, traders believe that regular flow of imported onion will help the rates slash down to some level.
The import of Onion from Afghanistan was absolutely negligible since almost last ten days as the Afghan border was not operational due to Eid.

The traders claimed that the rates had shot up in India as the imports had paused for a time. And now with Diwali season around the corner, the Indian consumer is feeling the pinch of high priced bulbs.

Talking to HT, importer Rajdeep Uppal said, "I have imported four trucks of Onion from Afghanistan. They will be sent to various markets. And definitely if the flow of import continues, the rate will get pulled down."

Earlier too, when the onions were imported regularly a relief came in the market, he claimed.
Another trader Gaurav Behl when contacted said, "My two trucks reached the border today. There are few traders who also have pending orders and it will help. We feel that post Diwali rates of the bulb will slash down."

Notably, after Pakistan refused sending the vegetable to India, it was Afghanistan that stepped in to wipe Indian tears. Although few people claimed that the quality was not as good as Indian onions but still it may help in regular supplies and pull down rates a bit.