Nagpur: Following short supply of onions and potatoes in Nagpur wholesale market due to heavy rains damaging the crops during the past two months, the prices of both the popular commodities have gone up since the past 15 days.
The onion prices of both red and white varieties have jumped to Rs 28 per kg to Rs 30 per kg, as compared 15 days ago at Rs 22 per kg to Rs 23 per kg. The onion and potato prices have surged as rains spoiled crops resulting in lower supplies of both commodities in the Nagpur wholesale market, said a wholesale trader at the Kalamna wholesale market.
At present the supply of onions is coming from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which are major producers of the crop. But, heavy rains have destroyed about 50 per cent of the produce in both the States. Apart from this, about 90 per cent of the onions stocked by farmers have been exhausted. To make matters worse, the local onion crop will arrive by December end in the wholesale market from Nashik, Amravati and Buldhana districts.
Overall the situation is grim as a large portion of the crops have been damaged due to excess rains. On top of this, farmers have suffered heavy losses this season, the trader said. In the wholesale market, onions of high quality are being quoted at Rs 28 per kg to Rs 30 per kg, as compared to fifteen days ago at Rs 22 per kg to Rs 23 per kg. The medium quality onions are being quoted at Rs 20 per kg to Rs 22 per kg, as compared to earlier prices at Rs 18 per kg to Rs 20 per kg. Similarly, low quality onions are being quoted at Rs 15 per kg to Rs 20 per kg, as compared to Rs 10 per kg to Rs 12 per kg, he pointed out.
On a daily average about 15 trucks of onions are arriving at the wholesale market. Out of this, the arrival of white onion variety is limited to 1 to 2 trucks only, the trader said. It is estimated that 25 percent of the potato produce has been damaged because of the rains. In the wholesale market the potatoes of high quality are being quoted at Rs 23 per kg to Rs 25 per kg, as compared to fifteen days ago at Rs 20 per kg to Rs 22 per kg. The medium quality is being quoted at Rs 20 per kg to Rs 22 per kg, as compared to earlier prices at Rs 18 per kg to Rs 20 per kg. The prices are based on the size and quality of the commodity. On a daily average 15 to 20 trucks are coming from Agra and Kanpur in the wholesale market, the wholesale trader stated.
