Nashik: Onion prices crashed by Rs 4 to Rs 6 per kg in wholesale onion markets in Nashik on Friday. Though a few farmers claimed that traders were pressurised to buy in less quantity, market experts said that the price decrease was due to the arrival of ‘lal’ onion.
Prices for the stored ‘unhal’ variety onion had increased by nearly Rs 6 per kg on October 23 as there was less availability of the freshly harvested ‘lal’ variety onion and other factors like exhausting stocks.
In Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) onion was traded at Rs 28.50 per kg on Friday compared to Rs 32.25 per kg on 24 October while in Yeola onion was traded at Rs 27.00 per kg on Friday compared to Rs 33.26 per kg on October 23. Rates in other APMC markets were similar.
Chandwad APMC Chairman Dr Atmaram Kumbharde said that the harvest of ‘lal’ variety of onion was delayed due to inclement climate, but still, large stocks arrived in the market and prices decreased.
Farmer Dinkar Aher questioned the logic of rates falling despite a shortage of onion. “This means that the government has put restrictions on the quantity of onion purchased by farmers,” he claimed.
However, Onion Merchants Association leader Sohanlal Bhandari did not comment and said that he was attending a programme. Nashik District Deputy Registrar (DDR) Nilkant Kare stated that they had not intervened in the market. Other onion traders and Lasalgaon APMC office bearers too did not respond.
While the wholesale prices do not show the real condition of the retail market, it has been observed that retailers sell the tuber vegetable at nearly double the price. On October 24, the onion was traded at Rs 32.25 per kg in Lasalgaon APMC, while the retail prices in Nashik city were Rs 60 per kg. Very low quality, nearly rotting onion with juices oozing was being retailed for Rs 40 per kg.
