Prices of onions, both the big and small varieties, started easing in the wholesale market in Tiruchi on Monday as the arrivals improved. The market also got about 25 tonnes of onions from Egypt.
On Monday, both the onion varieties were sold at ₹100 a kg. The price of small onions, which had touched ₹150 a kg in the past couple of weeks, started dropping with arrivals from Perambalur, Tiruchi and Namakkal districts. Normally, about 300 tonnes each of small onions and Bellary varieties arrive in the wholesale market every day in the city, which caters to the retail markets in Tiruchi and its neighbouring districts.
Traders at the market said that besides the Egyptian onions procured from Mumbai by a couple of traders, arrival of the Bellary onions from Maharashtra has improved.
The market also received about 100 tonnes of freshly-harvested crop of small onions, popularly known as ‘sambar’ onions, which is largely consumed only in Tamil Nadu. The market was getting just about 30-40 tonnes a day over the past few weeks.
While Bellary onions come mostly from Karnataka and Maharashtra, the small onion requirement is met by arrivals from Perambalur and Tiruchi districts, two major shallot growing districts in the State. The crop is raised on over 8,000 hectares in Perambalur district and on about 4,000 hectares in Tiruchi district. Over the past one month, arrivals plunged as traders and farmers complained that rain and disease (in small onions) had hit production badly.
“The price of Bellary variety dropped by ₹20 a kg and small onion by ₹40 a kg on Monday in the wholesale market. The prices of both the varieties will come down gradually and stabilise at around ₹50 a kg by next month,” said A.Thangaraj, general secretary, Tiruchi Onion Commission Mandi Traders’ Association.
Trader reports loss
However, one of the wholesale traders, P.Selvaraj, who procured imported onions from Mumbai, complained that he had incurred a loss as the onion price in Maharashtra, grown locally there, was coming down.
“I procured the Egyptian onions at ₹100 a kg and should be selling it for at least ₹110 a kg, after allowing for transport and other expenses. But as the price of the onions dropped by the time the consignment reached here, I had incurred a loss,” Mr.Selvaraj told The Hindu .
Mr.Selvaraj said reports indicated that arrivals improved in the Maharashtra markets and it would bring the price further down. Besides, a consignment of imported onions is set to arrive at Thoothukudi in a day or two, he claimed. The imported onions were dark red in colour and much bigger in size than the normal ones. Mr. Selvaraj observed that hoteliers would prefer the variety. However, some retail traders were wary of purchasing the onions in bulk fearing losses if there were to be a further drop in price over the next few days.
Meanwhile, officials of Civil Supplies CID carried out surprise checks at the Gandhi Market and the Tiruchi All Perishables Commission Mandis Commercial Complex at Ariyamangalam, and also in markets in Pudukottai looking for possible hoarding of onions by traders. However, no violations were detected, sources said.
Photo: 220227249, 220227033 220226866 220226862 220226858 220227029 – M.Srinath
