Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 21: Onion, an important ingredient in the traditional food habits of the people, is going beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. It has been becoming costlier by Rs ten with each passing day.

On Tuesday October 20, onion was sold in the market here at the wholesale rate of Rs 81 per kg. The retailers sold it at Rs 90 a kg. The price has risen by Rs 20 when compared to the price on Sunday.

The markets here get supply of onion from Hubballi, Belagavi and some Maharashtra cities. But on account of heavy and untimely rain in Maharashtra, a lot of onion crops have been damaged or destroyed. Merchants say that on account of short supply of onions to the market, its prices are registering record increase.

Currently, the old stock of onions is entering the markets. As the current crop has been destroyed, fresh supply stock of onions might be received in the market by December. Till then, the prices might remain quite high, people having knowledge of the vegetable say. If the dwindling stock is replenished by fresh supplies from elsewhere, there is hope of the price going down, say the merchants. Last time when the price of onion had gone up, hotels in particular had used cabbage in abundance to meet the shortfall of onion.

In the meanwhile, potato prices have also registered some increase. On Tuesday, potato was sold at Rs 40 per kg in the wholesale market and Rs 50 by retailers. The sources attributed this rise to too to the shortage of supply on account of heavy rainfall in Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru and Maharashtra, where this crop is grown in abundance.