One of the most used vegetables in households- the onion is now beyond the reach of many people due to its price soaring to as high as Rs 55-65 per kg. With the demand for onions exceeding its supply in the market leading to the hike in prices of onions, the domestic budget of many a family in Dehradun has been affected negatively.
The short supply is caused by erratic rainfall in the areas where onion is grown, particularly Nasik in Maharashtra. "There is no production of onions in our State. Therefore, we are dependant mainly on Nasik for the supply of onions. The supply of onions in the vegetable market has fallen drastically due to incessant rainfall. The retail prices of onions have soared to Rs 35-55 per kg in Nasik itself. The prices of onions are speculated to be high during the month of August," said Niranjanpur wholesale market committee secretary VP Thapliyal. The wholesale prices of onions in the State capital is Rs 55 per kg and is being sold as high as Rs 65-70 per kg in the market.
According to the vegetable vendors the price of onions is likely to go up further in the near future. However, it is not only the onion prices that have increased as the rates of other vegetables have also soared. It should be noted here that the retail price of other vegetables like tomatoes is Rs 40 per kg, Rs 50 per kg for capsicum, Rs 60 per kg for cauliflower, Rs 40 per kg for lady finger and Rs 40 per kg for brinjal among others.
The common people are yet to recover from the effects of hike in prices of petrol and diesel which has added to the woes caused by hike in vegetable prices. "The increase in prices of onions has affected my household budget adversely. Since onions are a part of our staple diet, we have to buy them even at the inflated price," said local resident Nancy Anand.