Rising onion prices across the country over the last few months have brought us back to a very familiar place in our political and economic discourse: The Great Indian Onion Crisis. Even as the government imported up to 100,000 tons of onions to stabilise prices there are signs now that the tide could be turning and these imports could contribute to a glut of onions rather than a shortage.
Why are we stuck in this cycle of price fluctuations for onions and what can we do to manage it better? This podcast breaks down the systemic reasons for onion production in India producing either shortage or surplus, the domination of the onion market by a small group of sellers and steps that can be taken to improve the situation.
Guest: Jaideep Hardikar, Nagpur based writer and researcher, and core team member of PARI
