Reportedly onion prices registered yet another hike on friday and the prices of the staple were four times higher as compared to last year. On Nov 29, 2018, the wholesale prices of onion in Delhi's Azadpur Mandi were between Rs 2.5/kg-16/kg, whereas, it traded between Rs 20-62.5 per kg on Friday. Furthermore traders said that onion prices are rising due to higher consumption and shorter supply.
Traders said "The arrival of onions in Azadpur Mandi was 1,045.6 tonnes on friday, while the daily consumption of onions in delhi is around 2,000 tonnes". Perhaps the central government has decided to import 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions to improve the domestic supply and control prices. Meanwhile Rajendra Sharma, President, onion Merchant Association and a trader at Azadpur Mandi said that the average daily consumption of onions across the country is around 50,000-60,000. So, the import of 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions is equivalent to two day consumption.
Moreover Agriculture expert vijay Sardana said that due to improper onion storage in the country, the stock of the previous season was wasted, while the new crop has been destroyed due to the weather. Sardana said "At present, there is a need to import about 10 lakh tonnes of onions. However, it's impractical as onions in such a large quantity will not be available abroad". Perhaps the government is trying to procure onions from egypt, turkey, Holland and other countries.
