Chennai: The retail price of onion has shown marked increase from end of August. A sharp spike in prices of onion in past 10 days by Rs 11.56 per kilo has taken the all-India retail price of onion to Rs 51.95 per kilo which was 12.13 per cent higher than the last year’s price of Rs 46.33 per kg.
In Chennai wholesale and retail markers, the rates are While the Tamilnadu government has started selling onions at lesser prices, the Union government had announced a ban on onion export to ensure availability to domestic consumers at reasonable rates during the lean season before the Kharif onion arrival.
While the rate at which retail prices increase had been moderated to some extent, recent instances of heavy rain fall in the major growing districts of Maharashtra, Karntaka and Madhya Pradesh had caused damage to standing Kharif crop, stored onion and seed nurseries. These developments on the weather front have resulted in sharp increase in onion prices.
The Indian High Commissions have been instructed in the relevant countries to contact the traders for pushing for greater imports of onions to the country. Such consignments of imported onions which arrive in Indian port without fumigation and endorsement to that effect on the PSC, would be fumigated in India by the importer through an accredited treatment provider.