GUWAHATI, Aug 11 � Onion prices would continue to bring tears to the eyes of consumers with market experts forecasting a further spiral-up due to overall supply shortage. Sensing a record hike in the rates in the coming days, onion merchants of Guwahati have stopped procuring train rake-load of onion for the time being.
Red onion, with sharp pungent smell, a preferred variety, was sold between Rs 50 to 55 per kilo at an average in various markets of Guwahati. Some traders also charged Rs 60 per kg depending on the size of the onion. The white variety was also sold at the rate of Rs 40-50 per kg in the markets.
According to the traders, there is no hope of a fall in the onion price in the current month as there would be a supply crunch in the country, at least for the next 20 days. �No trader is willing to take the risk of bringing rake-load onion, due to a fall in the demand and uncertain market conditions,� Vinod Surana, secretary of the Guwahati Potato Onion Merchants� Association told The Assam Tribune.
�After 1997, it is for the first time that onion rates have gone up this much,� he mentioned.
Guwahati wholesale market, supplying onion to various parts of the region, recorded a wholesale rate of Rs 45 to 48 for different varieties of onion.
�In Nasik itself, onion was sold today at the rate of Rs 52, which indicates that prices would go up further in the coming days. However, there would not be any shortage of the product in the markets here, due to a fall in demand and continuous onion supply to Guwahati through roadways,� added Surana. �The red variety of onion is coming to Guwahati from Rajasthan and Patna, where the prices are going up by the day. Nasik, the main supplier of white variety in this season, has also registered a record hike,� he added.
The consumers also complained about the tiny size of the onions available in the markets. �Despite the sky-rocketing prices, we are getting average quality of onion, which is very small in size. The rate of a little bigger sized red onion is even more, which is unjustified,� said a consumer in the Ulubari area.
�The situation is likely to improve with the arrival of new crop from southern States, mainly Bengaluru, which is supposed to arrive by September-October in the markets,� Surana mentioned.