VISAKHAPATNAM: Price of onions has witnessed a sharp increase in Visakhapatnam, doubling from ₹25 per kilogramme to ₹50 rupees per kg. The trend appears similar to that of tomatoes, which surged to ₹150 per kg a few months ago.
Rythu Bazaars in Visakhapatnam are currently selling onions for ₹37 per kg. In the open market, they are selling anywhere between ₹40 to ₹45 per kilogramme. Sunday witnessed a price of ₹41 rupees per kg.
Officials are attributing the onion price spike to delayed monsoon rains, which disrupted sowing of the crop.
The head of marketing department in Visakhapatnam reveals that there has been a significant gap between the first and second crops. Typically, the second crop should have hit the market in the first week of October.
Andhra Pradesh traditionally depends on onion supplies from Kurnool and Ballari in Karnataka. In fact, both these regions cater to the needs of south India. In times of scarcity, traders, and even the state government, look to Maharashtra markets for bridging the onion supply gap.
A Rythu Bazaar official expressed optimism that onion prices would normalise in the coming week as fresh supplies become available.
