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<ul><li>Mumbai’s residents are paying ₹140 per kilogram for good quality onions and many are also buying half rotten products at a lower price. </li><li>In Hyderabad, government owned farmer’s markets are selling limited quantity of onions at subsidized rate. </li><li>The high price of onion and garlic has affected the sale and prices of meat and meat products. </li></ul> When people in Maharashtra are not worrying about who is their chief minister, they are bothered with rising prices of onions. And there is a reason. The city of Mumbai is saddled with the costliest market price of this staple food—at ₹140 per kilogram (kg). This of course is for good quality onions. There is a large market for partly squashed and rotting onions as well, which is going at an exorbitant price of ₹80 a kilo. For good quality onions though, the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/news/wholesale-onion-prices-hit-rs-100/kg/articleshow/72269648.cms">wholesale price </a>itself hit a ₹100. All the other major cities too are buying onions at around ₹100 a kg as indicated in the table below. Traders, however, say that customers too have significantly reduced onion consumption. 
 
 
 
 
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 In the city of Hyderabad however, government owned farmer’s markets called Rythu Bazaars are selling onions ₹30 below the market rate. “But for that we have to stand in line for hours together and show Aadhar cards. Even after that, only a limited quantity of onions is given like one or two kgs,” Jaya RaviShankar, a homemaker from the city, told Business Insider. The high price of onion and garlic, which is also above ₹120 a kilo, has affected the sale of meat and meat products. The retail prices of chicken came down by ₹10 as per data collected from Navi Mumbai market in Vashi. The price of onions went up considerably after erratic rains affected crops in major onion producing states like Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra. Rains have been affecting the supply and consumption of many fruits and vegetables but the rising cost of staples has been disrupting Indian home economics. Last month, tomato prices have peaked to around ₹70 per kilo. That had forced Delhi government to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/indian-government-is-offering-puree-as-an-alternative-to-costly-tomatoes/articleshow/71534211.cms">peddle tomato puree </a>as an alternative—especially during the festive season. 
 
 
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 Source: Retail markets from each city

Desperate Indians queue up for cheap onions or buy half rotten ones as prices soar

New Delhi, Jan 7 () The government has so far imported 12,000 tonne of onion and it is being offered to states at Rs 49-58 per kg for retail distribution and to check prices, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Tuesday.
To boost domestic supply and contain price rise, the government is importing onion through state-owned MMTC and also facilitating private imports.
"We have imported so far 12,000 tonne of onion from countries like Turkey and Afghanistan," Paswan told reporters.
Of this import, 1,000 tonne has already been distributed to Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, he said.
By the end of this month, additional 36,000 tonne of imported onion is expected to arrive in India which will help ease pressure on prices, he added.
Retail onion prices, which were ruling over Rs 100 per kg in most cities since last two months, have started softening now on arrival of imported onions and new kharif crop.
Onion prices in Delhi are ruling at Rs 70/kg on Tuesday, as against Rs 118 per kg on December 19, 2019. Similarly, prices in Mumbai have dropped to Rs 80 per kg from Rs 120 per kg in the said period, as per the government data.
Onion prices have shot up due to 25 per cent fall in the kharif production. LUX ANU

12,000 tonne onion imported so far;states to get at Rs 49-58/kg for retail sale: Paswan

New Delhi, Dec 23 () The first batch of imported onion weighing 790 tonnes has reached India and some quantities are being distributed to Delhi and Andhra Pradesh at a landing cost of Rs 57-60/kg, a senior Consumer Affairs Ministry official said on Monday.
 An approximately 12,000-tonne of onion shipment is expected to arrive by end of December, he stated.
 State-run MMTC, which is importing the key kitchen staple on behalf of the government, has contracted 49,500 tonne of onion so far.
 Retail onion prices are ruling at an average Rs 100 per kg in major cities, but rates are as high as Rs 160 per kg in some parts of the country.
 "The two consignments comprising 290 tonne and 500 tonne each has already reached Mumbai. We are offering this onion at a landed cost of Rs 57-60/kg to state governments," the official told .
 Andhra Pradesh and Delhi governments have already placed their demands and have started lifting imported onions, he said.
 Onion has been imported from Turkey, Egypt and Afghanistan. More consignments are underway which should improve the domestic supplies, he added.
 Onion prices have shot up sharply due to estimated 25 per cent fall in kharif production of 2019-20 crop year (July-June) compared to the previous year because of late monsoon and eventual excess rains in the major producing states.
 Onion prices have failed to cool down despite several government measures in the last few weeks. The government has already banned export of onion, imposed stock limits on traders and is also supplying buffer stock at a cheaper rate.
 Traders and experts are of the view that onion prices will continue to remain firm till January when late kharif crop will start hitting the market.
 The country had last imported 1,987 tonnes of onion way back in 2015-16 when price has shot up significantly. LUX ANS
ANS

790 tonnes of imported onion reach India; some sent to AP, Delhi: Govt official

New Delhi, Jan 21 () The government is considering lifting ban on exports of onion as fresh arrival of the commodity has started softening its prices in the domestic market, an official said.
 "Arrival of fresh onion will further soften the prices here so there is a need to lift the export ban," the official said.
 Onion prices have come down to around Rs 60-70 per kg depending upon quality and locality from the peak of Rs 160 per kg last month.
Fresh onion is available from January to May.
In September 2019, the government banned the export of onion to increase availability of the commodity in the domestic market and contain rising prices. The government had also imposed stock limits on traders.
Retail onion prices had skyrocketed in Delhi and other parts of the country due to supply disruption from flood-affected growing states like Maharashtra.
Onion production is estimated to have declined by around 25 per cent in the Kharif and late Kharif seasons of 2019-20 crop year compared to the previous year due to late monsoon and then excess rains in the major producing states. RR MR
MR

Govt considering lifting ban on onion exports

New Delhi, Nov 25 () Public sector trading firm MMTC, which has been tasked to import onion on behalf of the Centre to cool prices, has contracted to import 6,090 tonnes from Egypt, and the edible bulb will be supplied to states in a price range of Rs 52-60 per kg.
 Last week, the Union Cabinet decided to import 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions to improve the domestic supply and control prices, which touched Rs 100 per kg earlier this month. Retail prices are ruling at around Rs 70 per kg in the national capital.
 "MMTC has placed order for the first consignment of 6,090 tonnes of onions from Egypt which will be arriving at Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mumbai. The Onions are being offered to state governments for distribution at the rate of Rs 52-55 per kilogram ex-Mumbai and will also be made available at the rate of Rs 60 per kilogram ex-Delhi," an official statement said.
 States could directly take the imported stock from the location and also have the option of getting transportation facilitated through NAFED, if required.
 "The supply of imported onions will begin from early December onwards," the statement said.
 Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash K Srivastava on Monday held video conference with state governments to analyse their demand. He has also written a letter to chief secretaries of all states on November 23 in this regard.
 While the Delhi government is yet to place any demand for onions, NAFED has informed that it will retail onions through its own outlets and those of Mother Dairy, Kendriya Bhandar and NCCF.
 "The total demand received so far from various state governments for the 1st week is 2,265 tonnes which includes demand from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala and Sikkim and also includes the demand of NAFED for supplies in Delhi," the statement said.
 Other states have been requested to indicate their demand at the earliest.
 On November 19, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said production in kharif and late-kharif seasons of 2019-20 is estimated to fall 26 per cent to 5.2 million tonne, putting pressure on supply and prices.
 In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Paswan said onion is a seasonal crop with harvesting period of rabi (March to June), kharif (October to December) and late-kharif (January-March). During July to October, the supply in the market comes from stored onions from rabi season.
 "During 2019-20, there was a 3-4 weeks delay in sowing as well as decline in sown area of the kharif onion because of late arrival of monsoon. Further, untimely prolonged rains in the major growing states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh during the harvesting period caused damage to the standing crops in these regions," Paswan had said.
 As a result, the minister said the production of kharif crop was affected.
 The rains during the September-October period also hit transportation of crop from these producing regions to consuming centres, he had said.
 "This led to limited availability of kharif onions in the market and has put pressure on its prices," Paswan had said.
 The minister said the government has banned onion exports and imposed stock limits to boost domestic supply and check prices. MJH HRS

MMTC contracts to import 6,090 tonnes onion from Egypt; to be supplied to states at Rs 52-60/kg

New Delhi, Dec 5 () Spiralling prices of onion in the country have become the talk of the town, and a subject of banter among politicians.
On Thursday, the onion prices which have been fluctuating for over a month in Delhi, touched Rs 109 per kg in many markets in the city.
The soaring rates may have made a common man's platter a little less appealing, but the ongoing debate over onion prices has surely spiced up verbal exchanges among a few in political circles.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday had said in Lok Sabha that the government has taken several steps to check rising prices of onion and to improve technology for better storage of the kitchen staple.
Adding a dash of humour to her statement, she, however, also said she doesn't eat much of onion or garlic, adding, "I belong to a family which does not eat onion and garlic."
When asked about Sitharaman's comment, former finance minister P Chidambaram, who arrived in Parliament on Thursday after spending 106 days in Tihar jail, quipped, "Does she eat avocado?"
Addressing a press conference later, Chidambaram, however, said his comments on the finance minister was not "sarcastic".
"I was not sarcastic, I was quoting her. They should have planned in advance, what is the point of importing (onion) now, when will they arrive. But if the finance minister says I don't eat onions, that shows the mindset of this government," he said.
Asked about the soaring prices of the bulb across the country, Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said he is not aware of it as he never tasted onions.
The government had on Wednesday said that the state-run trading firm MMTC has placed another onion import order of 4,000 tonnes from Turkey and the shipments are expected to reach by mid-January.
From Facebook to Twitter, the social media too revelled in some humour over the rising prices of onion, while a few users offered some suggestions.
"Work in Silence, B| Let your Success Buy onion !!!! (FEELING PROUD) (sic)," user Raju Roy posted on Facebook and shared a picture of a basket carrying some onions.
Anchit Pandey, another Facebook user wrote in Hindi, "Can live without love ('pyaar'), but not without onion ('pyaaz')." 
"What are you trying to say @nsitharaman if you are not eating onions, what you want from citizens of India they should also stop eating onions, you should try to decrease the prices," tweeted Aditya Jaiswal.
The onion prices remained a part of online conversation on Thursday on the social media, and many urged government to take steps to curb rising prices.
"Onion is one of the cheapest vegetables in India most of the times, if it increases beyond a point people will switch to other vegetables increasing the prices of those too. So it is not a great thing that onion prices are high," tweeted another user. KND ZMN
ZMN

Debate over onion prices spices up political talk

New Delhi, Dec 6 () Pinching hard on consumers' pockets, retail onion prices have surpassed the Rs 100 per kg mark in most cities across the country and in some places it is ruling at Rs 140/kg, as per the official data maintained by the Consumer Affairs Ministry.
 Onion prices have been ruling high for past few weeks due to fall in production of the Kharif crop following unseasonal rainfall in key growing states, including Maharashtra.
 The price of onion was ruling at around Rs 120/kg in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, while it was around Rs 100/kg in Delhi on Friday, as per the ministry's latest data.
 The key kitchen staple was quoting high in the tier II and tier III cities as well.
 The average modal price of onion in the retail markets was ruling at Rs 110/kg, while the maximum rate was ruling at Rs 140 per kg at Port Blair on Friday, the data showed.
 To boost supply and contain price rise, the government has contracted over 21,000 tonnes of imports through state-run MMTC and the shipments are expected to arrive mid-January. The tender and fumigation norms have also been ease to facilitate early arrival of imported onions.
 Among other measures, the government has already banned export of onion, imposed stock limits on traders and is also supplying buffer stock at a cheaper rate.
 Traders and experts are of the view that onion prices will continue to remain firm till January when new late kharif crop will start hitting the market. LUX DRR

Retail onion prices touch Rs 140/kg mark in some cities

New Delhi, Nov 19 () Private traders have placed orders for importing onions and at least 1,000 tonnes are expected by month end, which will help ease retail prices that is still ruling high at over Rs 60/kg, a senior government official said on Tuesday.
 The retail prices of onion had soared to Rs 100/kg a week back in the national capital, but the government's various intervention helped it to cool down a bit, but the rates are still ruling high at over Rs 60/kg in Delhi as well as other consuming areas of the country.
 "Private traders have informed the government that they have imported a small quantity of onion. Traders are expected to order further 1,000 tonnes for delivery by month-end and another lot for next month," a senior Consumer Affairs Ministry official told .
 The shipments will come smoothly as the government has liberalised phytosanitary and fumigation norms for import of onion till December-end, the official added.
 To improve domestic availability and contain price rise, the government is facilitating onion imports through private as well as public trading agencies. The government has decided to import 1 lakh tonnes of onion through state-run MMTC, which has already invited bids for import of 4,000 tonnes.
 Onion prices came under pressure due to 30-40 per cent estimated fall in the kharif (summer) output this year on account of floods and drought.
 Besides easing norms for import, the government has taken several measures including ban on exports, stock limits on traders and sale of the commodity stored as buffer, at a subsidised rate. LUX DRR

Pvt traders place onion import orders; 1,000 tonnes expected by month-end: Govt official

New Delhi, Mar 2 () The government will allow export of onions from March 15 in the interest of farmers, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. The decision will help boost the income of farmers, the minister said in a tweet. The government last week decided to lift nearly six-month-old ban on export of onions as prices are likely to fall sharply due to bumper rabi crop. The ban was imposed after the prices of the commodity skyrocketed. Now, onion prices have stabilised and there is bumper crop also. Expected monthly harvest in March is over 40 lakh MT compared to 28.4 lakh MT last year, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had tweeted on Wednesday. In September 2019, the government banned onion exports and also imposed a MEP of USD 850 per tonne. The move came after prices started skyrocketing due to supply-demand mismatch. There was shortage of onion as kharif crop was adversely affected due to excess rains and floods in key producing states, including Maharashtra. Currently, the arrival of rabi (winter) crop of onion has begun in small quantities and would increase from mid-March onwards. Exports of onion are expected to arrest sharp the fall in domestic prices. RRMR

Govt to allow onion export from Mar 15

New Delhi, Dec 16 () Not just onion, retail prices of potato and other vegetables have also shot up in the national capital on Monday as recent winter rainfall has damaged some of the crops, according to traders.
 At the Azadpur wholesale mandi here, prices of main vegetables, especially onion, are ruling high in the range of Rs 70-90/kg, potato at Rs 22/kg, tomato at Rs 18/kg.
 For instance, wholesale rate of cabbage was quoting Rs 7-10/kg on Monday at Azadpur mandi, as against Rs 1.40-3/kg a year ago, cauliflower at Rs 8-22.50/kg as against Rs 5-10/kg in the previous year, while carrot at Rs 4-23/kg as against Rs 2-12/kg, and capsicum at Rs 12-22/kg as against Rs 6-12/kg in the said period, according to data from central government portal Agmarknet.
 However in retail markets, the rates are much higher depending on the quality and locality. Onion is available at above Rs 100/kg, potato at Rs 35-40/kg and tomato at Rs 60/kg in retail markets of the national capital region. Prices of other vegetables like gobi, cabbage and spinach double the rates quoted in the wholesale mandis.
 "The supply of most of the vegetables, including potato and tomato, has been affected because of recent rains. This has resulted in increase in prices," Potato and Onion Merchants Association at Azadpur mandi General Secretary Rajendra Sharma told .
 Some of the vegetable crops have been damaged and in some places, harvesting of onion and other crops has delayed due to water-logging in the farm fields, he said.
 Currently, Delhi is getting the potato supply from neighbouring Punjab and Haryana, where the crop is damaged because of last week's heavy rainfall. Similarly, harvesting of onion has been affected due to wet fields, he added.
 An onion trader at Azadpur said the arrival of fresh onion crop has not improved much even as private traders have started importing some small quantity.
 "We are not able to buy onions at such high rates, now potato and other vegetables are also becoming out of reach for poor people like us," e-rickshaw driver Akbar in Bhogal market said about rising food inflation.
 Milk and butter prices have also gone up. Even cooking oil prices, especially of mustard oil, has increased by Rs 15/kg litre, he said adding that it is becoming hard to feed family members.
 Onion prices have risen by 81 per cent in the last one month and are ruling above the Rs 100 per kg mark for the third week in a row in most cities, as government efforts to cool the rates seem to be taking more time than expected.
 Onion prices have skyrocketed as domestic production in Kharif and late-kharif seasons (summer-sown) is estimated to have declined by 22 per cent.
 The government has been maintaining that it has taken all possible steps to rein in prices such as allowing imports, imposing a ban on exports and putting restrictions on quantities of onions to be stocked by retailers and wholesalers. LUX HRS

Not only onion, prices of potato and other veggies on rise

New Delhi, Dec 19 () Soaring onion prices figured prominently in the deliberations of the high-powered rating setting panel of the Reserve Bank as it voted for status quo in interest rates this month, according to the minutes of the MPC meeting released on Thursday.
 Onion prices are ruling high since September and were in the range of Rs 130-140 a kilogram in Delhi on Friday.
 "Headline inflation rose sharply in September and further in October, driven up by a sudden spike in prices of vegetables as kharif crop was damaged due to unseasonal rains in many parts of the country; increase in prices of onion was particularly sharp," RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting while voting for status quo in the key interest rate.
 The six-member MPC, headed by Das, had kept the repo rate unchanged on December 5 despite moderation in economic growth and easing inflation.
 Along with him, all the other five MPC members -- Chetan Ghate, Pami Dua, Ravindra H Dholakia, Michael Debabrata Patra, and Bibhu Prasad Kanungo -- had voted to retain the repo rate at 5.15 per cent.
 Echoing Das, RBI Deputy Governor Kanungo opined that unseasonal rains in October and early November damaged certain crops and disrupted the mandi arrival patterns.
 "As a result, the temporary demand supply imbalance led to price pressures in several vegetables, especially onion prices," he said, as per the minutes.
 Governor Das further said overall, several uncertainties cloud the growth-inflation outlook.
 "First, the surge in food inflation in last three months, driven up by a spike in onion and other vegetable prices, could be transitory. It is likely to reverse gradually as late kharif output comes to the market," he said.
 In view of this, even as the current food price spike driven by vegetables can be looked through, there is a need for greater clarity as to how the overall food inflation path is going to evolve as there is some uncertainty about the outlook of prices of certain non-vegetable food items such as cereals, pulses, milk and sugar, Das said.
 It is also not clear at this stage as to how the recent increase in telecom charges will play out, even as CPI (retail) inflation excluding food and fuel has moderated, he said.
 Onion prices have risen by 81 per cent in the last one month and are ruling above the Rs 100 per kg mark for the third week in a row in most cities, as government efforts to cool the rates seem to be taking more time than expected.
 Onion prices have shot up as domestic production in kharif and late-kharif seasons (summer-sown) is estimated to have declined by 22 per cent.
 The government has been maintaining that it has taken all possible steps to rein in prices such as allowing imports, imposing a ban on exports and putting restrictions on the quantity of onion which can be stocked by retailers and wholesalers. NKD CS ABM
ABM

High onion prices figured prominently in RBI MPC meeting, minutes show

New Delhi, Dec 1 () State-owned trading firm MMTC, which is importing onion on the behalf of the Centre, has placed an order of 11,000 tonnes of edible bulb from Turkey as part of its efforts to boost domestic supply and ease soaring prices, sources said.
This is the second import order placed by the MMTC. The public sector firm is already importing 6,090 tonnes from Egypt.
Last month, the Union Cabinet approved importing 1.2 lakh tonnes of onion to improve the domestic supply and control prices that have skyrocketed to Rs 75-120 per kg across major cities now. The Centre has already banned exports and imposed stockholding limit on wholesalers and retailers for indefinite period.
According to sources, MMTC has contracted 11,000 tonnes of onion imports from Turkey and the consignments are expected in January next year. 
 The company had placed an order for the first consignment of 6,090 tonnes of onion from Egypt which will be arriving at Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mumbai in the second week of this month. The imported onion is being offered to state governments for distribution at the rate of Rs 52-55 per kg ex-Mumbai and Rs 60 per kg ex-Delhi.
To monitor onion prices, a Group of Ministers, chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, has already been constituted. Finance minister, consumer affairs minister, agriculture minister and road transport minister are also members of this panel. A Committee of Secretaries (CoS) and Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash K Srivastava is also constantly reviewing the situation.
Onion prices remain high across the major cities of the country as the average selling price ruled at Rs 75 per kg on Saturday (November 30) while the maximum rate of Rs 120 per kg was recorded in Mayabunder, according to the data compiled by the Consumer Affairs ministry.
On November 19, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said onion production in kharif and late-kharif seasons of 2019-20 is estimated to fall 26 per cent to 5.2 million tonne.
Onion is a seasonal crop with harvesting period of (March to June), kharif (October to December) and late-kharif (January-March). During July to October, the supply in the market comes from stored onions from rabi (winter-sown) season. 
"During 2019-20, there was a 3-4 weeks delay in sowing as well as decline in sown area of the kharif onion because of late arrival of monsoon. Further, untimely prolonged rains in the major growing states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh during the harvesting period caused damage to the standing crops in these regions," Paswan had said.
"It's not in our hand, the government is making maximum efforts but who can win from nature," he recently told reporters when asked by when onion prices will come down to reasonable level.
According to the consumer affairs ministry data, onion is being sold at Rs 76 per kg in the national capital, Rs 82 in Mumbai, Rs 90 per kg in Kolkata and Rs 80 per kg in Chennai. 
The lowest price of Rs 42 per kg of the bulb was reported from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and Vijaywada, the data showed.
The ministry monitors prices of 22 essential commodities (rice, wheat, atta, gram dal, tur (arhar) dal, urad dal , moong dal, masur dal, sugar, gur, groundnut oil, mustard oil, vanaspati, sunflower oil, soya oil, palm oil, tea, milk, potato, onion, tomato and salt) based on data collected from 109 market centres spread across the country. MJH MJH MR
MR

MMTC signs 2nd onion import order, to buy 11,000tn from Turkey

New Delhi, Dec 6 () Showing no signs of cooling down, retail onion prices have continued to spiral, touching as high as Rs 165/kg on Friday even as the government grapples to boost the supplies through imports.
The government in Parliament informed that imported onions will arrive by January 20.
In most cities, onion was quoting above Rs 100/kg in the retail markets, while at Nashik in Maharashtra -- the key producing centre -- the rates were ruling at Rs 75/kg on Friday, as per the data maintained by the Consumer Affairs Ministry.
Retail onion prices were ruling high at Rs 165/kg in Panaji (Goa), Rs 160/kg in Mayabunder (Andaman) and Rs 150/kg in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Thrissure and Wayanad in Kerala on Friday.
Onion was sold at Rs 140/kg in Kolkata, Chennai and some places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Rs 130/kg in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack (Odisha), Rs 120/kg in Gurgoan (Haryana) and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), and Rs 100/kg in most cities tracked by the ministry.
"There is no doubt onion prices are rising. The main reason for rise in price was damage to the onion crop due to rains. Much of onion has been damaged in Maharasthra, the key growing state. However, the government has supplied buffer stock and asked MMTC to import onions and it should arrive by January 20," Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Danve Raosaheb Dadarao said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.
The government has approved import of up to 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions to check the ongoing price rise. State-owned MMTC has been directed to import up to 1 lakh tonne onions through global and country-specific import tenders, he said.
Onion are highly perishable commodity that is prone to weight and moisture loss, quality deterioration, sprouting, losses in grading and separation, he added.
On Thursday, a group of ministers head by Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed onion price situation and progress made in import of onions.
To boost supply and contain price rise, the government has contracted over 21,000 tonnes of imports through MMTC and the shipments are expected to arrive mid-January. The tender and fumigation norms have also been ease to facilitate early arrival of imported onions.
Among other measures, the government has already banned export of onion, imposed stock limits on traders and is also supplying buffer stock at a cheaper rate.
Traders and experts are of the view that onion prices will continue to remain firm till January when late kharif crop will start hitting the market.
The country had last imported 1,987 tonnes of onion way back in 2015-16 when price has shot up significantly. LUX BAL

Onion prices shoot up to Rs165/kg; govt says imported onions to arrive by Jan 20

New Delhi, Dec 9 () The Centre on Monday further reduced the stock holding limit for onion to 2 tonnes from 5 tonnes for retail traders as part of efforts to check hoarding and boost domestic supply of the kitchen staple.
 In a statement, the Consumer Affairs Ministry directed the state governments to undertake anti-hoarding operation with immediate effect on retail traders.
 Last week, the ministry had reduced the stock holding limit for retailers to 5 tonnes from 10 tonnes while that on wholesalers to 25 tonnes from 50 tonnes as onion prices were ruling high up to Rs 150 per kg.
 With retail prices failing to cool down, the ministry has further reduced the stock limits on retailers to 2 tonnes from the existing level of 5 tonnes with immediate effect, the statement added.
 Retail onion prices have risen in the past two months due to short supply owing to fall in production of kharif (summer) crop after heavy rains.
 As per the ministry's data, maximum retail prices are ruling at Rs 165 per kg on Monday, while modal price was at Rs 100 per kg. In most cities, onions are quoted over Rs 100 per kg in retail markets, pinching hard on consumers' pocket.
 The government has taken several measures to improve the supply of onion across the country and check price rise. Besides banning export, the government is boosting the supply through various modes including through sale of buffer stock onions at a subsidised rates and imports.
 State-run MMTC has been asked to import about 1 lakh tonnes of onions and the agency has already contracted over 21,000 tonnes and the shipment is expected to arrive mid-January.
 Experts are of the view that onion prices will remain firm till the first week of January when the late kharif onions will start hitting the market. LUX MR
MR

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