Onion prices soar to 100 rupees / kg in Mumbai, Pune; The center relaxes import regulations

Heavy rains have affected onion supply that has resulted in price hike.

The humble onion is putting a hole in consumers’ pockets and skewing family budgets. Onion prices They have seen a sharp rise in recent days with the staple vegetable now retailing for Rs 100 per kilo in some markets in Mumbai and Pune. Wholesale and retail prices have risen in markets across the country, including the largest wholesale onion market in Nashik, the Lasalgaon Agricultural Products Market Committee (APMC). The heavy rains greatly damaged the new kharif onions and the new kharif crop is expected to arrive in mid-November. Due to supply shortages, onion prices reached Rs 90-120 per kilo in Mumbai and Pune.

Amid rising onion prices, the government on Wednesday relaxed import regulations until December 15 for the onion to boost domestic supply.

According to the Union Ministry of Consumption, Food and Public Distribution, the retail price of onion has shown a marked increase since the end of August 2020, although the price level was lower than last year until October 18. A sharp rise in onion prices in the past 10 days by Rs 11.56 per kilo has brought the retail price of onion across India to Rs 51.95 per kilo which was 12.13 percent higher than last year’s price of Rs 46.33 per kg.

To facilitate the importation of onions, the ministry said, “on October 21 the government relaxed the conditions for fumigation and the additional declaration on the Phytosanitary Certificate under the 2003 Plant Quarantine Order for import until December 15 2020 “.

India’s High Commissions have been instructed by relevant countries to contact traders to push for further onion imports into the country.

Such shipments of imported onions arriving at the Indian port without fumigation and without the approval of the PSC to that effect would be fumigated in India by the importer through a reputable treatment provider.

If stem and bulb nematode (Ditylenchus Dipsaci) or onion worm (Hylimia antiqua) is detected, it will be fumigated and shipments will be released with no additional inspection fee.

“A commitment will be obtained from importers that the onion will be used only for consumption and not for propagation. Such consignments of onions for consumption will not be subject to an additional inspection fee four times higher for non-compliance with import conditions. under Order PQ, 2003, “the ministry said.

The government has accumulated buffer stocks of onion from the Rabi onion – 2020. In order to moderate prices, the ministry said that onion from buffer stocks is being released in a calibrated manner from the second half of September 2020 to major mandis and retail suppliers. like Safal, Kendriya Bhandar and NCCF and also to state governments.

“More will be done in the coming days,” he added.

The government said that on September 14, it took a preventive measure by announcing the ban on the export of onion to ensure availability to domestic consumers at reasonable prices during the lean season before the arrival of the Kharif onion.

While the pace at which retail prices increased had moderated somewhat, recent episodes of heavy rains in major producing districts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh had caused damage to Kharif’s standing crop, onion stored and seed nurseries.

“These developments on the climate front have resulted in a sharp increase in onion prices,” he added.