For the past one year, the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities have been forcing lower and middle class families to slash their budgets. Now, the same trend regarding Arhar Dal (a kind of pulse) and onions is deepening their misery, forcing them to rearrange their kitchen budget.
Imported Arhar Dal is being sold in India. Pulses from Indonesia and China are imported mainly. This year, the problem has cropped up because of the dearth of storing facilities. “Arhar Dal has gone out of the kitchen for most of the lower and middle class people. Many are having it under compulsion as they are left with no other option,” said Kusum, a housewife from Dalanwala, Dehradun.
Another housewife Sunita from indira Nagar, Dehradun, said they are consuming it once a week. “We have ceased using onions, given its spiraling price,” she added.
The current price of Arhar Dal (pulse) has soared up to Rs 160 per kg. With the price turning exorbitant, the people are shying away from it. “I have not ordered even a sack of Arhar Dal for my shop for the past one week, given its dwindling demand,” said Umesh Sharma, a grocer. “We feel that unseasonal rains and thunder storms affected the crops of Arhar Dal, resulting in the decreased supply. Hopefully, prices would come down in January and February, thanks to new crops filling the void,” he added.
Another grocer based at Araghar, Dehradun, Alok said that the spurt in prices of Dal and onions has been adversely impacting the common man as well as the traders dealing with edible items.
Onion, the key ingredient in most Indian dishes, is becoming out of bounds for the common men as its prices are hitting their wallets. “The prices of onion in the last month was ranging between Rs 60 and Rs 65 per kg. Now, things have a little eased with the price showing a slight downward curve. But still, things are well beyond the wallets of the common man. The volume of sale has substantially gone down. Because of the ‘Sharaad’ the sale has a trifle looked up,” said Iqbal, a vegetable seller.
Ravinder Singh, president of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, Niranjanpur, said due to fresh supply of onions reaching the markets, the price is likely to come down. “Around 1000 quintal of onions comes daily in the city. Onions are now available for Rs40 - Rs42 per Kg at the wholesale markets. The price would come down further with the supply steadying with time,” he said.