Onion prices make buyers cry again

PANAJI: The price of a kilo of onions in the state capital's municipal market has shot up to 48-50 from 35 within a fortnight, literally bringing tears to people's eyes. There's some relief at the kiosks of the Goa horticulture development corporation, however, where a kilo of onions was selling at 41 on Saturday, compared to last Saturday's 30 a kilo.
The cost of other vegetables, such as lady fingers (60 to 80 a kilo), French beans (60 to 80 a kilo)and green chilies (40 to 80 a kilo), too, have soared, digging into the monthly budget of every household across the state.
Panaji market vendor, MainuddinShaik said, "Prices have been soaring for quite some time now. The main reason is the dearth of some vegetables and the failing crops." Another vegetable vendor, Mehboob, attributed the sharp price hike to a shortage in supplies. "We don't get enough stock. Prices may go up even more next week," he warned.
"Yes stocks are low and prices have been fluctuating throughout the week," said Candido Dias, who runs the horticulture corporation kiosk at Taleigao, "Even if I want more green chillies there's no stock. Onion prices have risen from Rs 30 to Rs 34 then Rs 38 and on Saturday they're at Rs 41 a kilo."
Vasco-resident and a bank employee, Sita Karapurkar quipped that while onions normally make one cry thanks to their acidic properties their prices are now doing the same. "We normally use a lot of onions, and, sure, most vegetarian preparations can be modified to exclude onions, but, inevitably, onions are affecting our monthly budget."
Restaurateur Mohandas Kamat from Margao said he was left shocked by the price of onions at the horticulture kiosk on Saturday. He claimed, "Even though the prices of vegetables at the kiosk are cheaper than market rates, the quality is bad."
Nuvem-based restaurateur, Steven Dias concluded, "The rise in prices has made it very difficult not just for the common man but also for us restaurateurs. It has become difficult to make price adjustments in the menu. We cannot compromise on quality and our profit margin is suffering. Onions and tomatoes are integral to Goan cuisine, yet we cannot stock them as they are perishable. Some government control is needed".