Amid shortage, onion prices continue to show upward trend

Gurugram: Amid shortage, the prices of onions continue to show an upward trend. The selling price of onions in wholesale vegetable mandis of Gurugram continues to be Rs 70 to 90 per kilogram.

The demand for the onions in the Gurugram wholesale vegetable market is 250 metric tonnes but only 30 tonnes of onions are available. Most of this demand is being met from onions of Rajasthan and Mewat. Even though the onions from these regions have resulted in prices not spiraling to Rs 100, the preference for customers in Gurugram continue to be onions from Nashik.

Even as consumers bear the brunt of high prices due to a shortage of good quality onions from Nashik, the farmers of Mewat and Rajasthan have been able to get good margin of their produce.

Even though it does not match the quality of onions from the western part the onions from Mewat have begun to gain popularity. In the retail market, these onions are being sold at Rs 40 to 50 per kg.

"There is no doubt that the shortage of onions is hurting our budget. The importance of onions in Indian cuisine is quite substantial and as much as we want the produce from Mewat and Rajasthan cannot match the produce from Nashik," said Rajeev, a city resident.

Unlike other parts of the state, shortage of groundwater and poor supply of canal water has resulted in the farmers from Mewat which is the most backward district in the country to rely on the growth of crops like sorghum, chickpea and onions.

A recent addition to the list of crops grown in the district it is estimated that over 3,000 acres of agricultural land are used for the growth of onions.

This year has witnessed the bumper production of onions and has been finding many takers in different mandis of the state.