KOCHI: The fluctuation in onion prices is continuing in the third week of December and the price in Ernakulam retail market has touched `140 per kilogram on Wednesday. Though the retail price of onion had touched Rs 160 mark earlier this month, it had come down to `120 last week.
However, in the past two days, the wholesale price saw an increase of Rs 20. On Monday, the wholesale price of onion that arrived from Pune was Rs 120 per kilogram. The price rose to Rs 140 on Wednesday. The traders at Ernakulam market attributed the price rise to shortfall in arrivals from Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, the price of dark onion arriving from Karnataka has increased to Rs 130 per kilogram in the wholesale market. On Monday, the price of Karnataka onion stood at Rs 110 per kg.
“Usually an average of eight loads of onion arrive in Ernakulam on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays which are market days. On Wednesday, only one load of onion arrived from Maharashtra while two loads arrived from Karnataka. There is a huge gap in demand and supply which resulted in price rise,” said Ernakulam Market Stall Owners’ president KK Ashraf.
When asked whether it is the hoarding by middlemen which is creating problem, Ashraf said the stock in the wholesale market is not adequate for regular supply to retail markets. “We hoped the price would come down this week after the government imported onion from Egypt. However, we are yet to receive imported onion from our suppliers,” he added.
With Christmas arriving next week, the price of onion is likely to go up further. “The demand for onion will be high next week as it is an essential ingredient of chicken and red meat dishes. Onion is also an unavoidable ingredient for biryani. If supply does not improve, the price of onion from Pune, which is having high demand here, is likely to go up further,” he said. Meanwhile, the price of shallot is hovering around last week’s price of `140 per kilogram.