Eye-watering: Price of onion touches triple digit mark in city as chicken, egg prices climb north

Kolkata: Consumers have to brace for a bigger hole in their pockets as vendors are apprehending a further hike in the price of onions due to incessant rains and flood-like situation in South India. Prices of chicken and egg have also increased in the past few days, causing panic among retailers and wholesalers.

It was only last week when onion was priced between Rs 60 and 70 per kg, where on Tuesday the retail price per kg has crossed Rs 100. Depending upon the quality, onion prices vary in the market.

"At present, there is crisis of onions throughout the country. There is short supply in the Kolkata market because Maharashtra, the biggest supplier of onions to Bengal, has been affected due to heavy rain, making prices skyrocket across India," said Rabindranath Koley, general secretary, Forum of Traders' Organisation of West Bengal and member of the state's task force set up to monitor prices of essential commodities.

Meanwhile, onions worth Rs 50,000 were reportedly stolen from a market in Haldia on Monday night.

Since last week, the members of the task force have been going to different markets across the city to keep an eye on the escalating price of daily commodities. On Tuesday, the task force visited two markets in Salt Lake and found that onion was selling at Rs 80 per kg.

The Mamata Banerjee government had also asked self-help groups to monitor the price of commodities in the markets.

The state now produces 209 lakh eggs daily against the requirement of 260 lakh daily by the people of the state.

"Traders have claimed that after selling chicken at Rs 150 per kg they are suffering losses. The cost of chicken feed has also increased. The cost of eggs at present is Rs 5.50 per piece, which will go up by 50 paise due to winter. If the price hikes further then the government will take initiatives to curb it," said Koley.

Last week, price of chicken was Rs 110 per kg, while at present the price ranges between Rs 170 and 180 across the city.

"The hike in chicken price has directly hampered our business. The poultry owners have told us that price of the special eggs brought from Hyderabad for breeding chicken have shot up from Rs 30 to Rs 40. This is the reason why chicken price has shot up as well," said Md Shoaib Khan, a chicken wholesaler in Park Circus.