A gunny bag filled with onions is seen at a market in New Delhi, India, Nov. 8, 2019. The onion prices in Indian states including capital city New Delhi have skyrocketed and price of one kilogram was sold at around 1.41 U.S. dollars (100 INR) on Thursday, dealers said. Onions which form the main ingredient of Indian meal are otherwise sold at around 29 cents (INR 20) a kilogram. Officials blame late monsoon and cyclones for impacting sowing and crop arrival from main producing centres of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, thus creating a shortage in market. Officials said the government was taking measures to control prices, including a ban on exports and imposition of a direct nationwide stock limit. (Photo by Javed Dar/Xinhua)
NEW DELHI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The onion prices in Indian states including capital city New Delhi have skyrocketed and price of one kilogram was sold at around 1.41 U.S. dollars (100 INR) on Thursday, dealers said.
Onions which form the main ingredient of Indian meal are otherwise sold at around 29 cents (INR 20) a kilogram.
"The prices of onions have gone up and price of one kilogram of onion today is rupees 100," Sateesh Kumar, a roadside vegetable vendor at Greater Kailash said. "We are not the ones who frame the rates. it is the bigger merchants in vegetable market who declare the price."
Reports pouring in from Hyderabad, Chennai and Madhya Pradesh said the onions prices have soared.
The vegetable dealers attribute the price rise of onions to shortage in domestic supply.
"If onions are exported from the outside, there is possibility that the prices in market would show a downward trend. Otherwise, we have to bear the prices until new crop arrives," Kumar said.
In most parts of India during the past three months, onion prices have almost increased four times.
Officials blame late monsoon and cyclones for impacting sowing and crop arrival from main producing centres of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, thus creating a shortage in market.
Officials said the government was taking measures to control prices, including a ban on exports and imposition of a direct nationwide stock limit.
"The Government is taking all possible steps to curb price rise including creating a buffer stock of 56,700 tons of onions, banning export of onions so as to retain stock for domestic consumption and putting stock holding limit of 10 MT for retailers and 50 MT for wholesalers to ensure a constant and healthy supply in the market," said a government spokesman.
