Supply shortage pushes Onion price at Rs 45-50 a kg

After a brief lull, onion price has once again started soaring in the local vegetable market, due to supply shortage for the bulb vegetable.

"Onion price, which had dropped to Rs 30-Rs 35 per kg last week...  Is now being sold at Rs 45-Rs 50 per kg, depending upon its quality," said an office-bearer of the city vegetable market association.

He said the price rise was mainly due to short supply of the onion in the market.

"Supply from Nasik, which is the biggest supplier of onion, is very limited, as transportation has been affected due to foggy condition. Besides, our local supply is inadequate," he said.

Earlier, the district administration in its effort to control prcies and provide onion at cheaper rates to the consumers, had opened 36 fair price outlets in the city.

The price at these retail outlets has been fixed at Rs 20-24 per kg for grade-A onions, Rs 16-19 per kg for the grade-B onions and RS 9-15 per kg for C grade quality.

This had led to a fall in onion prices before short supplies again pushed this food commodity price to the current high. Besides onion, tomato price has also shot up to Rs 40-Rs 50 per kg.