Kurnool: Onion farmers had been a pleased lot with their product commanding favourable prices, However, erratic rainfall has significantly affected their yield over 5,000 hectares, disappointing the farmers.
Over the past week, the price per quintal had surged from ₹3,500 to ₹4,390 in the market. This led to onions being sold for ₹50 per kg at the Rythu Bazaars in Kurnool district. In retail markets, the prices had reached around ₹70 per kg, compared to ₹40–45 last month.
According to market yard secretary Vijaya Lakshmi, onion price per quintal recently hit a seasonal high, with the modal price standing at ₹3,600. On September 25, only around 8,000 bags of onions arrived at the Kurnool market from various parts of Kurnool district. Traders thus anticipate price increases, with estimates suggesting that prices could reach ₹8,000–8,500 per quintal in the coming month.
Farmers in areas such as Gonegandla, Nandavaram and Yemmiganur have experienced significant crop losses over the past year. As there are supply shortages, prices are expected to continue rising in the Kurnool market yard, one of the largest onion suppliers in Andhra Pradesh, alongside Tadepalligudem.
Kurnool and Tadepalligudem play a key role in regulating onion prices across AP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
K. Veeresh, a trader at the Kurnool market yard, pointed out that only 10–20 trucks of onions are arriving daily, compared to 70 trucks in previous seasons, leading to low stock availability.
During the last two years, onion prices had dropped to as low as ₹1,400–1,500 per quintal. But this year, traders are happy that prices have shot up, despite the challenges in production.
Currently, local onion varieties are priced at ₹35–40 per kg, while those transported from Maharashtra are selling at ₹55–70 per kg.
