Onion prices to calm down in next 2 days in Kolkata markets:

Retail prices of onion, which had suddenly increased in the city with supply constraints in the wake of 'Makar Sankranti', will ease in the next two days as shipments have started arriving in the wholesale markets, traders said on Saturday.

The price of the kitchen staple had soared to Rs 80 a kg this week in the city markets.

"Nasik market was closed for four days on account of Makar Sakranti and there was a shortage of supply. Today, wholesale price of onion slipped to Rs 50 a kg from Rs 65 on Friday," agri-commodity analyst Sibu Malakar said.

Makar Sankranti is a festival in the Hindu calendar which is dedicated to the Sun deity Surya and marks the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

"Supplies from other states has been normal and Bengal onions have also started arriving though farmers have harvested premature crop to reap benefits from high prices in mandis," a wholesale trader said.

West Bengal's agricultural marketing department officials said they are monitoring the situation.

Recently, the state government had sold onions at Rs 59 a kg, when the retail price of the edible bulb soared over Rs 100 per kg.