Despite the Central government’s ban on onion export and the State government’s initiative to sell the vegetable through cooperatives, the price refused to fall in the wholesale market at Oddanchatram on Saturday.
According to the merchants, the shallots were quoted at ₹100 per kg and the big onions were quoted at ₹80 per kg. “If this was the rate revolving in the wholesale market, the price would be higher in retail outlets and even higher in private chain stores,” Nagarajan, a farmer from Gujiliamparai said.
With rainfall continuing in many States from where onions arrive, the price may not come down for the next month or two, Muthu, a merchant said.
At least a dozen merchants sell onions - big and small at the uzhavar sandhai here. However, with prices sky-rocketing only five traders had onions. The total arrival at the sandhai was 600 kilos of shallots and 700 kilos of big onions. Though there were not many takers at this price, the Agriculture department official at the sandai said that people may buy at this rate as the prices may only look upwards till Deepavali.
With farmers' in Gujiliamparai, Yeriodu and Vedasandur having just commenced their crop activities, the harvest may happen only in mid or third week of January 2021. Until then, the prices may be revolving around ₹80 and above, they predicted.
Speaking to The Hindu , a Horticulture officer in Kodaikanal said that the government may increase onion imports from Egypt soon and prices would come down around ₹50 per kg and hoped that the Cooperative stores would sell them in large quantities ensuring that there was no artificial demand.
Another senior officer in Oddanchatram said that they have appealed to the wholesale merchants not to hoard the commodity as the imported onion was already available in cities like Madurai, where they were being sold at ₹40 per kg.
