Wholesale dealers at the Asia’s largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market — Azadpur — blamed onion producing States for the soaring prices in vegetables, especially onions, in the national Capital.
Expressing their helplessness, they claimed that the traders have been buying onion at higher rates from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka at Rs 40-Rs 50 per kilo. “After adding around Rs 3.5 per kilo — the cost of transportation — onion on Thursday was sold at Rs 55-Rs 60 per kilo. Ruling Government in the onion producing States should be held responsible. The prices in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka are fixed by respective State Governments. We are compelled to buy-sell the commodity at a higher rate after adding some profit,” said a trader.
With the arrival of over 15,000 quintals from the three States on Thursday, the price of the vegetable may witness a slump in the coming days. Arjun Gupta, a wholesale dealer of onions at the Azadpur market, also accused the Centre for the existing price rise. “Ideally, export of onion should have been stopped in May when the crisis was at its initial stage. The Centre, however, kept ignoring the matter and it turned worse. Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar should have acted then and export should have been stopped in May itself,” he said, adding that the supply is normal and the market has been receiving around 50-60 trucks on a daily basis.
Jaggi Seth, another wholesale dealer, said that despite the price rise, onion is still being exported to Malaysia and Bangladesh. “labour cost is also aggravating the ongoing crisis as a dealer adds Rs 10 for each quintal apart from Rs 500 as transportation charges. We have to face the brunt by paying the prices of the day irrespective of the dip in price. The onion prices keeps fluctuating. A load from Bangalore takes around five days to reach Delhi,” said a wholesale dealer at the market.