Onion rates fall in wholesale mkts; retail prices at Rs 60/kg

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Onion prices in the wholesalemarkets here today dipped by Rs 5 a kg to about Rs 42.50 a kgon improved supplies, but retail prices of the vegetablecontinued to rule high at around Rs 60 a kg in the city.

Increased arrival lowered the wholesale price of thecommodity by Rs 5 a kg. Traders made bulk purchase of the rootvegetable at Rs 42.5 a kg at Azadpur today, Delhi AgriculturalMarketing Board (DAMB) Chairman Brahm Yadav told PTI.

The arrival of onion today jumped to 860 tonnes inAzadpur mandi, Asia''s biggest wholesale fruit and vegetablesmarket, against 162 tonnes yesterday, he said, adding supplyrose substantially in Okhla market too.

A downslide in wholesale onion prices, however, had noimpact on retail markets in the national capital, where thevegetable continued to sell at Rs 50-60 a kg, traders said.

The scenario was no better in other metros.

Onion sold at Rs 50-65/kg in retail in Mumbai while itcost Rs 45-55/kg in Kolkata and Rs 60 per kg in the southernmetropolis in retail outlets, traders said.

Delhi requires about 400 tonnes of onion daily, agri-cooperative najor Nafed Chairman Bijendra Singh said.

Nafed, which is selling onion in Delhi at subsidised rateof Rs 35 a kg through its outlets, also increased the numberof mobile vans to 20 from 15 earlier.

Meanwhile, 200 tonnes of onion imported from Pakistan bythe state agencies PEC and STC to boost supply in Delhi islikely to land at the Mundra port in Gujarat tonight.

Onion consignment is expected to reach Delhi by Monday,Singh said.

More consignments of the bulb crop from Pakistan areexpected in the next couple of days, sources in state-ownedPEC said.

Though the wholesale rate of onion rose by Rs 1 a kgin main producing region Lasalgaon in Nashik district ofMaharashtra it stayed steady at Rs 35/kg in Pimpalgaon (in thesame district).