Onion in a pickle, again: Here's why the humble bulb remains so volatile

Long-term solutions such as increasing the shelf life through irradiation technologies and converting fresh onions into pro­cessed flakes are available but have not been pursued with rigour: Experts

A few days ago, some farmers of Maharashtra buried themselves neck deep in pits filled with onions to protest against the sharp drop in the vegetable’s prices — the result of an export ban, hefty import duty, minimum export price (MEP), and a surge in new crop arrivals. Far away, reports said, consumers in Bangladesh and Nepal, both major buyers of Indian onion, are struggling with sky-high prices.
 

Onion prices have always been a hot topic and have on occasion been a critical factor in elections. They tend to fluctuate wildly because of limited centres of production, wide and growing