VIJAYAWADA: After tomato prices, onion prices are skyrocketing in the city. Onion prices in the wholesale and retail markets have doubled in the last one week. The onion prices in the city are anywhere between `30 and `35 per kg on Saturday as against Rs 12 to Rs 16 in the first week of August. The rythu bazaar is selling onions for `30 per kg. Onions were sold at `12 per kilo on July 27 in rythu bazar.“We get onions from Kurnool and Maharashtra. Currently, there is no supply from Kurnool district.
The rain havoc in Maharashtra has badly affected onion supply,” said a trader of SN Puram Vegetable Market. M Srinivas Sastry, Estate Officer of rythu bazar, said: “Usually we get around 100 quintals of onions every day. Now, the supply has come down to 30 quintals a day.” He added that by the end of this month, Kurnool stock will come and prices will come down.
The consumers are worried that the prices will rise in next few days. Onion shops at rythu bazar experienced huge rush on Saturday. However, the rythu bazar officials are giving only three kilos per head. “As the stock is less, it is our responsibility to supply to every consumer who walks in,” said the estate officer.The middle class families are affected by the unexpected hike in onion prices. The exorbitant prices are forcing them to cut down the consumption of onions.
Jyothi Kshatriya, a homemaker, said: “No matter what the price is, we will buy onions as it is a significant ingredient in any recipe. But, the prices will certainly affect the quantity.” The consumers believe that the traders are deliberately holding up the stock to create artificial scarcity, despite there was good production in Maharashtra.
‘No stock’ boards at Nellore rythu bazars
Nellore:Onion prices are soaring in Nellore too just as in other parts of the State. What is causing concern among the consumers is the rate at which the price is spiking. It has almost doubled in the last couple of days. If the price hovered around R20-R25 a kg a few days back, it is now hovering around R40 a kg.
“Onions were being sold for Rs 40 per kg at retail shops for the last two days. We have reduced the usage of onions in our day-to-day cooking. We purchased a little quantity only for specific dishes,” says N Ramadevi, a resident of Ramesh Reddy Nagar. Consumers like her are pointing accusing fingers at onion traders, alleging that the latter have been hoarding onions in huge quantities to create artificial scarcity. Normally, the district imports onions from Maharashtra and Kurnool markets as local produce is not sufficient to meet the demand.