After tomato, onion gets dearer across markets

With the price of onions shooting up, Koyambedu wholesale market has been receiving onions from just 35 trucks.

Earlier, the big market used to receive 60 trucks regularly.

The market used to receive onions from other states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The price of onion in the wholesale market went up to Rs 25 to 35 a kg, while the retailers sell the same for Rs 40.

Earlier, it was sold between Rs 8 and 10, traders said.

“It is a fact that Maharashtra, which supplies onion in large quantities, had a poor harvest this year, while heavy rains in Karnataka have hampered the supply. In Tamil Nadu, there is no production due to drought,” said VR Soundararajan of Koyambedu Vegetable Traders’ Association.

He also said that there is a high possibility for further increase in price in the coming days.

However, the price of small onions has come down to Rs 50 from Rs 100 in the market.

Even in other markets like T Nagar and Aminjikarai, such onions are being sold at Rs 45 a kg.

It may be noted that price of tomato had gone up to Rs 120 a few days ago.

However, it has come down to Rs 40 and Rs 50 of late.

Similarly, the cost of green chilly has also shot up to Rs 40 a kg, while it was Rs 25 earlier.