A sigh of relief for the citizens as the onion retail prices went down! Nashikites can now avail onions at a comparatively cheaper rates. The prices for superior quality onions in the market fall down to Rs.30/kg on Sunday. Onions were sold in the price bucket of Rs.50-60/kg and due to reduced prices of the hyped veggie in wholesale market; the prices fall down in the retail market as well. The small and medium sized onions are sold in the price bucket of Rs. 20-25/kg.
The average wholesale prices of onions at the district Agriculture Produce Market Committee(APMCs), was Rs. 5000/ quintal in the 1st week of November which further declined to Rs. 3100/quintal in past days.
After the reduction in the prices of onions, an onion retailer Shankar Malode said, “The retail prices of onions have reduced due to decline in wholesale onion prices. The retail prices of good quality onions, which were in the range of Rs. 40-45 a kg on Friday, reduced due to fears that the wholesale prices may decline further from Monday. The arrival of the onion crop is expected to increase in district Agriculture Produce Market Committee “
Mr. Satish Bhonde, an official of National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF), suggested some beneficial measures to the public saying, “People must learn to make a stock of 50 to 70 kg of onions of summer crop when prices are at low level during April and May, so that they would not fall victim to artificial rise in onions prices during August and October every year.”
The current climate is in favor for growing of onion crop. It is cool and nutritious for the onion crop and so is expected that the harvest of the crop will increase in coming days. Also the prices may decline further in the coming week.
Looking at the lower prices of onions, a housewife, Asha Pachpande commented “There is much relief due to decline in onion prices. Earlier onion prices were above Rs. 50 a kg and not affordable. Hence, instead of one kg, we used to buy half kg and used onions economically.”
