Onion Prices Keep Rising!

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Onion price is on the rise – every day. If Dispur doesn’t take any tangible measure right now, the retail price of the commodity, according to onion traders, will be Rs 75 per kg soon. Onion was sold at Rs 18-22 per kg in Guwahati in June this year. Onion prices have witnessed steep hikes in the recent past. It has risen by Rs 10 per kg in the past five days. The prices of the commodity at Pamohi Wholesale Market on August 24, 2019 were Rs 30 per kg (maximum) and Rs 28 per kg (minimum). After two days, i.e. on August 26, the prices were Rs 31 per kg (maximum) and Rs 28 per kg (minimum). The very day, i.e. on August 27, the prices were Rs 32 per kg (maximum) and Rs 28 per kg (minimum). On September 18, 2019 the prices were Rs 40 per kg (maximum) and Rs 35 per kg (minimum). The very next day, i.e. on September 19, the prices were Rs 45 per kg (maximum) and Rs 42 per kg (minimum). On September 20, the prices were Rs 48 per kg (maximum) and Rs 45 per kg (minimum). At Fancy Bazar Wholesale Market onion prices were Rs 52 per kg (maximum) and Rs 48 per kg (minimum) on Friday 20. The retails prices of the commodity on Friday were from Rs 55-60 per kg at various markets in Guwahati.

According to sources in Pamohi Wholesale Market and Fancy Bazar Wholesale Market, onion comes to Assam from Nasik (Maharashtra) Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal where onion cultivations were damaged by floods and heavy rains, leading to poor production. According to them, Assam and the Northeast get 5,000 quitals of onion from these States weekly. “However, there have been no supplies of the commodity during the past three days. The current hike in prices is because of rise in prices at the sources. If the government doesn’t take measures to check the rising prices of the commodity and make it available now, onion price may touch Rs 75 a kg soon, ,” one of the wholesalers said.

When asked, a source in the State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department said: “We depend on other States for onion. The current hike in prices is based on hikes at the sources of the commodity. So far, there has been no directive from the government for measures to check in the rising prices of the commodity.”

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