WB: Imported onions arrive at Asansol markets, get mixed reactions from public

In a major relief amid soaring prices, special kinds of onions imported from Turkey have hit the market and are getting mixed reactions from the public in West Bengal's Asansol here.

According to the vendors, these new onions weigh around 400-500 grams apiece.

"I have been selling onion for over 20 years but I have never seen this kind before. These onions bring some respite as the price of the vegetable have never been this high before. However, only businesses are buying these new onions," a vegetable vendor Aliaz Khan told ANI on Tuesday.

One of the customers looking puzzled in the vegetable market said we will not be able to use these onions in our food.

"These look like the father of onions. They are way too big. We cannot buy this. We will not be able to use it in our food," a local in the market, Sapna said.

Another local, however, said that they have to buy the onion because they have no other option.

"Kharidana to Padega hi" (We will have to buy eventually), said another local, Budor Mandal in a disappointed tone.

He said that the local onions are way too expensive to buy and therefore they will have to buy the imported ones as long as the prices are sky-high.

In a bid to control the rising prices of onion, the Central government had earlier announced that it is importing the staple vegetable from Turkey which were likely to reach the country by the end of December.

The Centre has also taken several other decisions, including revising the stockholding limits on retailers from 5 metric tonnes to 2 metric tonnes.