Excess rainfall hits onion supplies in Nashik APMCs

NASHIK: With stocks of onion continuing to remain low, their prices have skyrocketed in Nashik.

On Thursday, the minimum price of Unhal variety of onions in the Lasangaon APMC stood at '2,501, while the maximum rate stood at '7,000. The average price per quintal of onion stood at '6,451.

On the other hand, minimum prices of red onions stood at '1,801 per quintal, while the maximum rate touched '6,001 per quintal. The average price per quintal of red onion stood at '5,500.

Lasalgaon APMC chairwoman Suvarna Jagtap warned that the repercussions of the present state caused by excess rains could be observed even next year.

APMCs or Agricultural Produce Market Commit-tees have been established to ensure farmers are safeguarded from exploitation by large retailers.

Presently, two varieties of onion are being traded in APMCs across Nashik, including Lasalgaon. The first variety in the market is Unhal or Rabi crop which has been harvested from March to June and is stored. The second variety in the market is red onion (an early Kharif crop) which should have been in the market by Diwali but arrived late due to excess rainfall. Nashik is the only region which harvests three onion crops in an agricultural year.

The average arrival of red onions during this period is about 20 to 25 thousand quintals per day in Lasalgaon APMC. However, at present, only 500 quintals is trickling in per day on an average. Ms Jagtap claimed that only two or three per cent of Unhal variety onions could be in the market as 80 per cent of them would have been destroyed.

“About one lakh quintals of onion have been imported from Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Egypt. They are being distributed in the metros. This onion is unlikely to make any dent as its colour and taste are different. Mostly hoteliers are using it,” Ms Jagtap added.

Former Shetkari Sangh-atana leader and onion farmer Haji Sandubhai Shaikh said that red onion from Khandesh and Kasma belt usually arrives in the markets during Diwali. However, he added that the recent rainfall has destroyed the crop and very little harvest is being taken to APMCs.

“The cost of saplings and labour has increased. Yet, farmers have begun planting Rangda onion or late Kharif crop,” Mr Shaikh said.