Onion prices crash to Rs 9 per kg at Lasalgaon APMC

Nashik: The price of onions has come down to nearly minimum Rs 9 per kg in Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) from Rs 15 a few days ago. This is after onion rates stayed high for nearly three months and had soared to Rs 40 per kg. The stocks of Unhal variety of onions are exhausted, and now only Lal onions are available.

“Earlier, the demand was very high, and now the supply is high. This a simple market principle and exports are also fewer,” stated Ramesh Deore, chairman of Satana APMC in Nashik district on Sunday.

On Friday, the rates in Lasalgaon APMC were minimum Rs 9 per kg, maximum Rs 34.60 per kg and average Rs 28.31 per kg. A fortnight ago, the rates were minimum Rs 15 per kg, maximum Rs 37.15 per kg and average Rs 27.12 per kg.

It should be noted that the bulk of onions are traded at a minimum to less than average prices. The highest price offered is mostly of a tiny exceptional quality stock – sometimes only a 50 kg sack.

Mr Deore also said that two varieties of onion were being harvested simultaneously, flooding the markets. The Lal variety is an early Kharif crop while the Rangda variety is a late Kharif. The harvests of Rangda variety too have begun and will peak by December end.

Meanwhile, farmers will plant the Rabi onion called Unhal, which will be harvested from March onwards.