TIRUCHI
Poor demand has resulted in the price of onions, especially the Bellary onions, ruling low in the Tiruchi wholesale market during the lockdown imposed in view of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The price of the Bellary onions, which had sky-rocketed in the last few months of 2019 forcing the Centre to import them, is now ruling at ₹15 a kg, that too for the top export quality ones. The price of the onions start at ₹7 a kg at the Tiruchi All Perishables Commission Mandis Commercial Complex, which caters to Tiruchi and several neighbouring districts.
The price of Bellary onions had breached the ₹150 mark in December last year and as arrivals from Maharashtra and Karnataka came down to a trickle, many traders here started purchasing onions imported from Egypt and Turkey. However, the price of the onions started coming down steadily in January and came down to ₹25 a kg in February.
“Over the past three months, the price has ruled steady in the range of ₹7-15 a kg. Sales has come down by 50% as there are no festivals and domestic functions are few and far between with restricted number of participants. Besides, people have also curtailed their purchases in view of the cash crunch,” observed A.Thangaraj,general secretary, Tiruchi Onion Commission Mandi Traders’ Association.
According to traders, they good price commanded by onions towards the end of last year saw many farmers going in for the crop in Maharashtra and Karnataka and there has been a bumper harvest. But now farmers have been left disappointed, though the price crash is good news for consumers. “Transport cost alone works out to ₹4 a kg for bringing in the Bellary onions here,” Mr.Thangaraj said.
The market gets about 250 to 300 tonnes of Bellary onions a day now and about 100-150 tonnes of small onions, which rules at ₹20-40 a kg, depending on the quality.
The prices are likely to rule steady at these rates for the next few months and there may be an increase only in the run up to Deepavali festival, Mr.Thangaraj said.
