Onion prices remain high at Rs 18.50/kg at Lasalgaon

New Delhi: Onion prices remained high at Rs 18.50 per kg at Lasalgaon, India's largest wholesale market for the edible bulb, setting the same trend throughout the country, according to NHRDF data.

The impact of rise in onion prices at Lasalgaon in Nashik is being felt at Delhi's Azadpur market where they are ruling at Rs 20-25 per kg, traders said. Meanwhile, as per the daily price report of the Department of Consumer Affairs, wholesale prices of onion are highest in the country at Rs 41 per kg in Port Blair, followed by Rs 30 per kg in Ernakulam in Kerala and Rs 27 per kg in Agartala.

The prices were highest in southern parts, followed by eastern and central India. In Chennai and Kolktata onions were sold at Rs 24 per kg, whereas in Mumbai they were available at Rs 22 per kg. Other cities which are facing the heat of the price rise include Bhagalpur, Cuttack and Bhubneshwar as onions were being sold at Rs 24 per kg in these cities.

The onion prises have risen steadily inspite of a bumper crop. File Pic

In Ahmedabad onions were sold at Rs 22 per kg, in Shimla at Rs 21 per kg and in Jammu at Rs 20.50 per kg. Onion rates at Lasalgaon market, which sets the price trend of the vegetable across the country, have jumped by 90 per cent to Rs 18.50 per kg as against Rs 9.75 per kg on May 30, according to the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) data.

To check the price rise, the Centre on June 17 imposed minimum export price (MEP) of USD 300 per tonne on onion to curb overseas shipments. About 39 lakh tonnes of rabi onion is stored in the country but that may not be sufficient as domestic demand during the lean period from June-November is met through stored rabi (winter) crops and fresh kharif (summer) crops.

Onion production is estimated to have risen to 192 lakh tonne during 2013-14 crop year (July-June), from 168 lakh tonne in 2012-13. Exports meanwhile fell to 13.58 lakh tonnes last fiscal, from 18.22 lakh tonnes in 2012-13.