The price of onion has started soaring all over again. In Delhi, the retail price touched Rs. 100 per kg while in Kolkata, onions are selling at Rs. 80 per kg. The Union Food Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the Central government will import onions on an emergency basis to fight the situation.
The reason behind such a steep rise in price is said to be the curtailed supply from states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh which are the primary onion producing states in India. Heavy monsoon in parts of the country, coupled with low production are being said to be the other reasons for short supply. Production of onion has been 30 per cent less this year than last year due to late arrival of monsoon.
Earlier, Nanasaheb Patil, Director of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), had said that the kharif crop that was due to come in September, had been delayed by a month due to late rains. Thus the customers will have to deal with the soaring prices till November.
In addition, a large number of crops were lost due to flooding in some of the primary onion producing states.
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