Rs 90/kg: Pockets hit by big spike in onion prices

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 28

Onion prices are literally leaving residents teary eyed as the vegetable is priced at Rs 80-90 per kg in the local market. The prices, which hovered around Rs 20-22 per kg in mid-August, increased to Rs 50-60 in the first week of October.

However, a sudden jump in the prices during the past few days has left residents worried.

"In winters, the consumption of onions increases as vegetable such as ‘saag’ become the staple dishes. And without ‘tadka’ these cannot be cooked,” said Gurmeet Kaur, a retired schoolteacher.

While the complimentary onion salad served to diners at restaurants and dhabas has already gone off the charts, with it priced at Rs 80 per kg, it has also diminished from the poor man’s diet.

A domestic worker, Kamla, said: “Onion and apple are selling almost at the same price. While a poor person can do without apples, but onions are must."

A senior citizen, Kulwant Rai, said: "The prevalent prices of onions have even challenged the age-old dictum of ‘achaar-gandha’, being a poor man’s diet.”

He said the government should come up with a plan to provide onions at subsidised rates through the public distribution system as was being done by other states.

The prices in the country increased after untimely rains and floods in major onion-producing states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

“It does not seems that prices would come down soon as farmers were unable to harvest the crop due to floods,” said Jagwinder Kumar, a trader at Vallah subzi mandi.

Meanwhile, in another shock for the consumers, Verka has also increased the milk prices by Rs 2 per litre. It is the second hike announced by it this year.