The Centre on Wednesday said it has “no answer” to when and how the prices of onion will come down even as the price of the tearjerker bulb touched Rs 70 per kg. In fact, Union Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution System Minister Ram Vilas Paswan sought suggestions on how the prices can be controlled.
“It was not in my hands to bring down the prices immediately,” Paswan said after he held a meeting with officials from the ministries of agriculture and food as well as the Delhi Government on the rising prices of onions and tomatoes. “Pyaaz ki kimat kam karna mere haath mein nahi (I am helpless in controlling the price of onion),” Paswan said..
He said the production this year was expected to be lower since the area under onion cultivation had reduced to 1.90 lakh hectares from 2.65 lakh hectares in 2016-17.
“We have taken several measures, such as procurement by agencies from areas such as Nashik (Maharashtra) and Alwar (Rajasthan) where the cost is lower, as well as import of onions. But it (bringing down prices) is not in our hands,” Paswan said. On October 31, Paswan had blamed hoarding for a surge in the prices of onions and tomatoes in retail markets, and promised that the situation will improve once the fresh supply began.
According to traders of Azadpur Mandi, supplies got exhausted as large quantity of exports were undertaken in the first four months of the current financial year. Uneven rainfall and floods in several parts damaged the crop. In Delhi, only 50 to 70 trucks are coming at Azadpur Mandi these days. The high prices of onion and tomato are pinching hard to the common men in the wedding season. Country’s total onion crop is produced in the kharif season, and the rest during the rabi season. The kharif crop, however, cannot be stored. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat are the major onion producing states.
“The Centre is working towards this with full force. We hope prices will go down. I don’t have an answer if you ask me when and how will it go down,” he said. “I have asked the Delhi government to sell onion under PDS. I have also asked Maharashtra and other state governments to sell after purchasing at lower prices. If you have a suggestion, feel free to give it to us, we’ll think about it,” Paswan said.
“In Nasik, onion is still being sold at Rs 32 per kg. If you add the transport cost, then too it should not be more than Rs 40 per kg. In Rajasthan’s Alwar its still being sold at Rs 28 to Rs 30 a kg,” he claimed.