TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
BELGAUM: While all these days soaring onion prices had brought tears, it’s time for home makers and hoteliers in Goa to cheer, as onion prices in Belgaum market have crashed.
This is because onion from north Karnataka has started arriving in Belgaum market since Saturday. About 125 truckloads of onion from onion growing areas in north Karnataka arrived in the Agriculture Produce & Market Committees’ (APMC) market yard in Belgaum, resulting in a sudden crash in prices and giving a big relief to consumers.
“This is the good news for consumers in Belgaum, Goa, north Karnataka and south Maharashtra, as the onion yield from Lokapur, Savadatti, Mudhol and other neighbouring areas have started arriving here,” Sambhaji Hongekar, a leading stockiest in the APMC market yard, told Herald.
“From a whopping Rs 6,000 and above, prices have come down to as low as Rs 1,500 per quintal, with the best quality onion available at Rs 3,500 per quintal,” said Hongekar and added that now the onion prices will have a downward trend.
APMC market yard is the major supplier of onion, potato and pulses to Goa. Apart from onions, there is also a rise in arrival of potatoes here. Onions from different places arrives here every Saturday and Wednesday.
According to wholesale traders, when the next load of onion arrives in Belgaum on Wednesday, prices are expected to crash further and the best quality onion may be available at Rs 2,000 per quintal shortly.
Moreover, prices had soared as APMC was receiving onion from Ahmednagar, Nasik, Lasalgao and other places. But with the arrival of local yield, supplies from these places have now stopped.
Supplies from Karnataka is expected to last for atleast for three more months, till such time, yield from Maharashtra will start arriving the market, regulating the onion prices further. Hence, Goans arriving Belgaum could visit the market yard here on weekends and purchase onion in bulk which is available in a 50 kilo sack.
Meanwhile, prices of vegetables too are showing a downward trend. Wholesale vegetable prices per 10 kilos in Belgaum on Sunday were tomato (Rs 70-80), brinjal (Rs 80-100), capsicum (Rs 200-250), green chilli (Rs 140-200), lady finger (Rs 180-200), rib gourd (Rs 100-120), beans (Rs 80-100), bitter gourd (Rs 70-80), cabbage (Rs 80-100), English carrot (Rs 180-200), ginger (Rs 250-300), cucumber (Rs 100-120) and cauliflower (Rs 300-400 – 18 pieces).
Prices of leafy vegetables per 100 bundles were coriander (Rs 120-200), mint (Rs 80-100), spinach (Rs 120-140) and phenugreek (methi) (Rs 300-350).
