Onions have continued to keep citizens teary-eyed as the prices in Bidhan market in West Bengal's Siliguri have soared to Rs 110 per kilogram due to the acute shortage of the commodity in the markets, as claimed by the sellers.
Speaking to , a homemaker named Rupa said, "The onion prices are so high and it should be brought down. The common people are suffering because of the price hike. It is very difficult for me not to use onions while cooking because it adds taste to the food. Now, because of the shortage, we are forced to buy high-priced onions."
"As far as I think, the new stocks will start coming into the market in two weeks and the price might drop then. In the northern area of West Bengal itself, almost 15-20 trucks of onion are being used on a daily basis. However, we are supplying 8-10 trucks now as there is an acute shortage of the commodity," Jaishwar, a supplier, said.
Meanwhile, Ramodar Prasad, a member of Siliguri Onion and Potato Merchants Association, told , "The production of onion was affected due to the unseasonal rains across the country. The market is down because many merchants aren't capable of buying onion at a high price. We are not able to provide the commodity as per the customer demands."
"The price will only decrease when there is enough stock of onions in the market. It may take some time for the situation to get back to normalcy. Earlier, I used to buy 3 kgs, now I only buy half kg," said a customer.
Onions price has skyrocketed across the country with the vegetable being sold in a range of Rs 80 to Rs 150 per kilogram. The price of onions has been on the rise in many states of the country, which has even sparked protests among the people.
( With inputs from ANI )