Karnataka: Pricey onions leave buyers teary-eyed

Bangalore, Aug 5: Unlike last year, Karnataka has received surplus rainfall, which might be a reason to smile for many who got rid of the heat. But a smile soon turns into tears when one bargains for a kilo of onions. Excessive rainfall has destroyed the onion crops this year, reports a senior official.

On Saturday, the retailers bought onions at a whopping Rs 40 at the Yashwantpur market, unlike Rs 30 last week. And this sells for Rs 45 in the markets. In fact, the prices are going to go up due to Ramazan and other approaching festivals.

Moreover, onion supply from Maharashtra, the major producer of the vegetable in the country, has also reduced. This is because many traders in Maharashtra now supply onions abroad, aggravating the scarcity. "With reduced supply and greater demand both nationally and internationally, onion prices are bound to go up, " says a trader.

The state could have banked upon supply from Chitrdurga, Chikkamagalur, and Devanagere districts; but excessive rains here have destroyed crops.

S Balakrishna, VP Bangalore Onion and Potato merchants Association opines," At present the above mentioned regions collectively contribute 300 bags of onions per day. In normal conditions, the city receives 25,000 bags of onion; however, we are getting just 15,000 bags currently."

The only hope that is left for city onion lovers is supply from neighboring Tamil Nadu. However, they have to wait till the end of this month when the supply from Tamil Nadu arrives. Traders believe that if the stocks from Karnataka fulfill the requirements of the country, then the prices may go down by Rs 10.

OneIndia News