Afghan help applies balm on onion price sting in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: The prices of onions dropped from Rs 90 per kg on Tuesday to Rs 80 per kg on Wednesday following the arrival of a consignment from Afghanistan.
"Two varieties of Afghanistan onions have arrived at the wholesale market in Chandigarh. The red ones cost Rs 60 per kg, while those pink in colour cost Rs 70 per kg. We hope there will be some relief to the buyers," said a Punjab Mandi Board official, adding the prices could fall further in another few days.
More than 30 trucks with produce have come to the market.
The reduction in the price will bring some relief to buyers, as street vendors were demanding Rs 110-120 for 1kg of onions, upsetting the kitchen budget.
Roshni Das, a resident of Sector 7, said, "It is still high but some reduction in price is good. We had cut down on onions these days. Two days before, I bought half kg onions for Rs 50." She also added that this will help them balance their kitchen budget.
Sachin Kumar, a vegetable seller in Sector 26, said, "The buyers seemed quite happy with the fall in prices and with Afghanistan onions arriving, the rate is expected to fall further."
Also, a surprise check was conducted in the market on Tuesday by inspectors of the UT food and supplies department. All the wholesalers were asked to show the records of purchase and sale of onions.
In just 4 months, the onion rates had risen from Rs 30 per kg and hovering between Rs 80 to 100 per kg.
Street vendors hiked it to Rs 110-120 per kg as it was ranging between Rs 80 to Rs 100 in the vegetable market. The buyers have been complaining and have asked the administration to cut onions rates as it did in September. "We are hesitating to buy onions from street vendors who are demanding as high a price as Rs 120 for a kg of onions," a shopper at Sector 26 mandi said.
Vegetable seller at the mandi, Mohammad Ali, said, "Buyers try to negotiate the rates, but we can't do anything as we get onions on high rates as well." He added that people are complaining so much about the rise in rates because onions are a daily essential of the kitchen.