Onions become more expensive in Kolkata, retail prices reach Rs 70/kg

Onions are becoming more and more expensive in city retail markets; a kilogramme now costs Rs 70.

Retailers on Tuesday blamed the spike on an imbalance between supply and demand during the holiday season.

In a number of the city's well-known retail markets, such as those in Maniktala, Gariahat, Sealdah, and Behala, the majority of retailers claimed that supply did not keep up with demand. Furthermore, the majority of the onions being delivered are of lower quality.

Better-quality onions sold for Rs 80 per kg at Jadubabu's market in Bhowanipore.

Prior to Durga Puja, onions cost between Rs 35 and Rs 40 per kilogram, but prices have been rising ever since Mahalaya (which fell on October 14 this year). Many have been compelled to reduce their consumption as a result of the ongoing trend.

Similar to potatoes, onions are an everyday necessity. Many, including myself, have been compelled by the sharp price increase to scale back on purchases, according to Kasba resident Apurba Ghosh.

Agri-marketing department senior officials stated that the state needs about 11 tonnes of onions per year.

About 6.5 tonnes of onions are produced in Bengal. The state must import nearly 8 tonnes of onions from other states since a large amount of it is wasted due to a weak preservation system.

Onions are currently quite expensive nationwide. In Delhi's retail markets, a kilogram costs about Rs 80. We are dependent on the supply from Nasik, just like a number of other states," a senior department official stated.

"The end of January will see the arrival of the Bengal onions in markets. We are primarily dependent on supplies from other states up until that point.

Three important onion wholesale markets, Dankuni, Burrabazar, and the Koley market in Sealdah, all reported rising onion prices ever since the supply from Nasik began to decline.

The fresh kharif onions should have begun showing up in the Nasik wholesale markets by now, but they have not shown up as of yet. According to traders, the supply of rabi onions is running low.

Over the past few days, the cost of an onion in Nasik has increased from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,600 for every 40 kg. The cost of transportation and waste should be added. Burrabazar onion trader Avijit Sarkar stated, "The wholesale price here is over Rs 55 a kg, way higher than what it should be during these times."

Around 1 lakh tonnes of onions are sold per month in the city, but onion dealers claim that during the holidays, demand for the product soars.

"This time, the Puja ban on trucks entering the city began early, around Mahalaya. During the short times when goods vehicles were permitted entry into Kolkata, the majority of the city's demand was satisfied by the meagre supply that arrived in the city in smaller vehicles from surrounding districts. According to Kamal Dey, president of the West Bengal Vendors' Association and member of the government-appointed task force on vegetables, "the larger trucks that were transporting onions from other states stayed away for the most part."

"Up until a few days ago, it was impossible to manage the crowd at the Santosh Mitra Square puja, and trucks couldn't get to the Koley market."

Onions used to arrive by train. Dey stated, "That stopped a few years ago due to the handling and transportation costs."

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