​Rising onion prices bring tears to residents’ eyes

LUDHIANA: The rising prices of onion are bringing tears to the eyes of city residents, as in the last one month itself, the prices have shot up by more than 100 per cent. Vegetable sellers say they are likely to rise further as supply is far less than the demand.
Says Ravi Kumar, president of Kissan Mandi Vegetables Market in Pakhowal area: “The price of onions today is Rs30 per kg.The high price is due to damage to the crop in Nashik (where it mostly grows) because of early onset of monsoon. It will take another 20-25 days for the price to fall, but till then, there may be an increase almost every day.” Adds Muhammad Jameel, a vegetable vendor of Sarabha Nagar: “The price per kg of onion was around Rs12-15 last month, but presently it is around Rs30, and increasing on a daily basis. Prices will decrease only after the new crop arrives in the market from Nashik and other onion producing centres.”
Home-makers are disappointed by the rising onion prices. Says Aarti Malhotra, a home-maker of Civil Lines: “Onions are used in almost every dish we cook. Apart from that, we also consume onions in salads, and it is said that having onions is good during the monsoon. But we are not happy with the way the prices are increasing every day. The government should step in to streamline prices by setting small vegetable markets on the pattern of Mumbai.”
Another resident, Pinky Chowdhary, a teacher of Pakhowal Road, adds: “The prices of vegetables are always going over the roof, and now the price of onions has also shot up. The rising prices of vegetables have badly upset our household budget. We hear that after a month, the scenario will improve. We are anxiously waiting for that time.”