MUMBAI, DEC 1: With untimely rains hitting the onion crop badly in the State and transporters stir looming over markets, prices of onion and other commodities like sugar have zoomed up.While at Lasalgaon wholesale market yard near Nashik, onion went up to Rs 1,213 per quintal, the highest this season, in Mumbai it was costing Rs 14 per kg. Sugar prices too escalated with the essential costing as much as Rs 25 per kg in the State capital.The depleting Rabi stocks and the damage to the Kharif crop due to rains, have led to a scarcity pushing up the prices. On Friday, old Rabi stocks of onions fetched an average of Rs 950 per quintal at Lasalgaon. The best quality of Rabi onions fetched season's highest price of Rs 1,213 per quintal.In Nagpur too, unseasonal rains have pushed up onion prices and the commodity was being sold at Rs 5 per kg a few days ago, now it is going for Rs 10 to 12 per kg in retail markets.The State-wide bandh call given by the traders has also contributed to this abnormal price hike. The major source for supply of onions to the region are Dhule, Nashik and adjoining areas. Vidarbha farmers too produce onions but in a very small quantity.About 30 to 40 truck load (about 300 to 400 tonne) of onions arrive in the Nagpur daily.``The wholesale price of best quality onions today touched a record price of Rs 700 per quintal in the city,'' a trader informed.It may be recalled that in June this year, there was a glut of onions, pushing down the prices to Rs 150 per quintal. Agitated farmers had hit two ministers, Babanrao Gholap and Tukaram Dighole, with onions at Yeola on June 22. The farmers were demanding State Government's intervention in the market to maintain the price at the break even limit of Rs 200 per quintal. The issue had also figured in the State Legislature on July 9, when Opposition members had hurled onions in the House. However, the glut was blown over and scarcity set in, pushing up prices. On November 4, the maximum price fetched was Rs 643 per quintal, which went up to Rs 851 per quintal on November 21.The arrivals at the market yards have been decreasing from about 350 tractor-trailor loads (each carrying three tonnes) to just 191 tractor-trailor loads on Friday. The highest price ever fetched was Rs 1,500 per quintal, in November 1993, when the retail prices in major cities in Maharashtra including Mumbai, had gone up to Rs 20 per kilo. Nashik district has over 21,000 hectares under onion cultivation, producing about 4.75 lakh tonnes annually in three harvests.
