Team Herald
PANJIM: Onions have left customers teary-eyed as prices of the kitchen essential have skyrocketed to a staggering retail price of Rs 130 per kg. The prices are expected to touch Rs 150 to Rs 160 per kg, if supply does not pick up.
While the price of onions, that had touched Rs 70 per kg in August and September, it had dropped to Rs 50 per kg last month, but the unseasonal rainfall led to a shortage of the commodity and pushed up the price.
In Panjim municipal market, onions were being sold at Rs 130 per kg on Wednesday, as vendors were paying Rs 110 per kg to wholesalers in Belgaum. In the neighbouring district, the retail price of onions has touched Rs 100 per kg.
In State horticulture corporation outlets, onions are being sold at Rs 80 per kg, while super markets are selling it at Rs 145 to Rs 155 per kg.
“There has been extensive damage to onion crop due to the incessant unseasonal rainfall. The prices of onions are likely to shoot further to Rs 150 to Rs 160 per kg in the retail market if the supply does not increase,” a vendor said.
He added that the situation is the same across the country, with onions being sold at a price ranging between Rs 90 per kg and Rs 150 per kg in retail markets.
Another vendor Mohammad said that the quality of onions is not up to the mark and many get spoiled within a short period of time. “We are forced to throw onions in the waste bin once they get spoilt. Even customers are complaining that the onions are rotten inside. But we are helpless,” he said.
Being an essential ingredient, consumers are forced to purchase onions at the exorbitant price. “We can’t avoid using onions in our food. We are forced to purchase it at any cost. But the prices are too high. The government will have to intervene,” Ranjita Gaonkar, a housewife said.
