The price of onions has shot through the roof with consumers having to purchase it at Rs. 60 a kilogram in Karimnagar.
Heavy rains in neighbouring Maharashtra and the Andhra Pradesh have caused extensive damage to onion crops, which has led to its short supply in the market. Incidentally, the price of onions had been steadily increasing in Karimnagar since the last one week. The prices soared from Rs. 40 per kg to Rs. 60 per kg within a week, said a trader, Gopal, who operates from the busy Tower circle area. He said that they were forced to purchase onions at the rate of Rs. 5,500 per quintal against the normal rate of Rs. 1,500 per quintal.
Crops submerged
Another trader, Ramaiah, said that onions are usually cultivated in Adilabad and neighbouring Nagpur, Nanded and other districts of Maharashtra. But, the incessant rains had submerged the crop in the region and there was no yield, which had led to the price rise, he added.
The traders said that the price of onions was expected to further shoot up to Rs. 80 to Rs. 100 per kilogram in the coming weeks. They said that the prices would stabilise only in the month of October when the new crop arrived.
