Egypt onions yet to reach ration shops

Officials said, “Onions from Egypt have reached Mumbai port and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) is in the process of distribution of onions across the country. Our officials from Cooperation Department are still in Mumbai and are waiting to procure onions.”

The price of onions has soared high in the recent days and it crossed Rs 160 per kilogram. To contain the price of onions government has taken various measures, including raiding onion warehouses to prevent hoarding and taking measures to sell onions at low prices in farm fresh outlets and ration shops by obtaining onions from Egypt.

After the first round of onions from Egypt arrived in the state, last week, Sellur Raju announced that government has demanded 500 metric tonnes of Egypt onions from NAFED and it will be sold through ration shops immediately.

However, the onions are yet to reach the state and government has not yet decided on the sale of onions through ration shops.

Officials also said that already onion prices have started to cool down and it is sold close to Rs 100 per kilogram. “If onions from Mumbai reach the state the prices will cool down further and will get normalised by the time of Pongal”, said officials.