Nagpur, Oct 12
Prices of onion, the cheap kitchen spice used by housewives is available at the wholesale market at the rate of ` 50 per kg and 40 per kg, depending upon the quality. This steep rise in the prices of onion from ` 30 per kg can be attributed to heavy rains.
As the rising prices of onion are bringing tears into the eyes of buyers, some small vendors carrying gunny bags of onion weighing 10 kg were selling the onion at a much lower rate of ` 20 and ` 25 per kg at roadside.
Sources said this difference in prices of onion could be attributed to damaged produce of onion in the rainy season -thereby creating their temporary shortage in the market.
Big traders could store their produce in cold storage thus maintaining the quality of their produce while the small producers had to sell their produce at throwaway prices due to damaged crop, sources informed.
As onion damaged due to rains can not be stored, the traders are facing immense financial losses, sources added.
The quality of onion would improve and there would be uniformity in prices after Diwali when the winter season starts, sources added.
According to sources following heavy rains, fifty per cent of onion bulbs in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been damaged.
As a result, the arrival of onion and potato produce in city on board 400 private and public carriers has come down to 100.
Due to this, prices of onion in the retail market has gone sky high and for one kg of good quality onion, people have to shell out ` 60 per kg in retail market. Potato tubers have also been affected by heavy rains. As arrival from Prayagraj, Kanpur and Agra has depleted, depending upon their quality, prices of potatoes have gone up to ` 28 and ` 30 per kg while in retail market their prices are above ` 40 per kg.
Till some days back , potatoes were available in the market at the rate of ` 30 per kg, said Dilip Patil, a vendor of vegetables at Vishwakarmanagar. However, this rise in prices of potatoes could also be attributed to re-opening of hotels and restaurants, Dilip Patil said.
Every day, on an average, 15 truckloads of potato yield is coming to Kalamna market.
Similarly, two truckloads of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are also coming to
Kalamna market on daily basis, their quality would also improve after rains stop completely.