Rise in the price of onions has returned to haunt Hyderabadis again. Retail price of onions has surged to Rs 60-70 a kg in the last couple of days. This time it is not due to shortage of onions or rains, but due to the ongoing agitation against the state bifurcation in the Seemandhra region, especially in Kurnool.
Onion prices have spiralled by more than 100 percent over the past three days.The prices, which were between Rs 30-35 per kg before Eid, went up to Rs 50 and on Monday the retail price in the city is between Rs 60-70. In June the prices of onion was as low as Rs 20.
“There is no shortage of onions in the country. The spurt in the price was due to the ongoing agitation in the Seemandhra region against state bifurcation. The agitation was affecting the transportation of onions from onion producing regions like Kurnool and Nasik. Around 300 truckloads of onions reach Kothapet wholesale market in the city everyday but due to the protests only 60 truckloads are reaching the city,” says Osmangunj Smarat Onion Dealers Association president B Shiva Kumar.
“In Osmangunj retail onion market there are about 140 shops and all of them are selling onions between Rs 60-70 per kg.
We are getting onions from the Kothapet wholesale market between Rs 50 and Rs 55 per kg depending upon the quality of the onion. Apart from this retail dealers are forced to pay a commission of Rs 200 per quintal to the wholesale dealers in the name of shortage, forcing the retailers to hike the price to adjust the commission amount,” he said.
There is a possibility of onion prices touching Rs 100 in the next few days if the agitation continues, he cautioned. The government should intervene and see that the transportation of essential commodities are not disrupted by the agitators, he said.
“With onion prices soaring I have started bringing only limited quantities. The demand for onions in the past two days have come down drastically due to sudden rise in the prices. Normally, onions are costlier during monsoon. But this year, there has been exceptional rise in prices of onion which is a matter of concern,’’ says Younus Ali, a Kirana store owner from Malakpet.
“Rise in the prices of onion is bringing tears to the eyes of the common man. The soaring prices will only add to miseries of consumers already hit hard by inflation,” says K Sujata, a housewife from Srinagar Colony.
With prices of essential commodities skyrocketing, the rise in the prices of onion has come as a rude shock to the people of the city.
“With cost of essential commodities already burning a hole in the pocket of the common man the rise in the onion prices will added to their woes”, says G Nagesh, a government employee.