Honour demand for imported onions, Centre to TN, 11 others

The Cabinet Secretary in a video conference sought to persuade states to buy more onions from the imported stock for direct retailing and distribution to increase availability and reduce prices. December onwards, the price had begun sliding which led the State governments to reduce their demand.

Later in the day, Paswan, while briefing media said that imports began from mid-December and the states were asked to place their demand in order to get the supply from the imported stock. The states had initially put a demand for 33,139 MT of onions which was later revised to 14,309 MT due to various reasons. The Union government had planned the imports based on the initial demand and has already contracted almost 40,000 MT of onions which will arrive in India before the end of January. So far, 12,000 MT of onions have arrived in the country and is ready for distribution to states, he said.

There is no shortage of onions in the market in the past three days, vendors at the Koyambedu wholesale vegetable and fruit market said. More onions are being supplied from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, besides imported onions from Egypt, they added. “We started receiving more onions from Saturday, and the prices have also reduced. Though imported onions are being sold for Rs 25 per kg, the customers are not willing to buy it. Now, Bellary onions are being sold for Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg and Andhra onions for Rs 40 per kg,” said M John Valthari, secretary of the Onion Merchants’ Association.