New Delhi
There has been a slight decline in onion prices in the national capital Delhi. This week the average retail price of onion declined from Rs 67 per kg to Rs 63 per kg. The government expects prices to come down further in the next 1-2 weeks.
due to falling prices
Onion crop is almost ready in Alwar, Rajasthan. However, due to shortage of laborers in the fields during Diwali and Chhath festivals, there has been a delay in harvesting and transportation of the crop. Now workers have slowly started returning, due to which the supply of local onion is likely to increase.
Increase in government supplies
Government cooperative societies NAFED and NCCF have increased the supply of onion. The government has prepared a buffer stock of 4.75 lakh tonnes of onion this year. Earlier, onion was supplied to Delhi through trucks but now it is being sent through goods trains, due to which about 1400 tonnes of onion is reaching Delhi at a time. Last week, two goods trains carrying onions had reached Delhi and another goods train is leaving from Nashik.
What traders say
Shrikant Mishra, President of Onion Traders Association in Azadpur Mandi, says that it may take a month or two for a permanent decline in prices. According to Mishra, “Onion prices have remained unusually high this year. Although there was a slight decline last month, prices rose again. “There is a possibility of further reduction in prices only after the arrival of Kharif crop.”
