As scanty rains delayed plantings, the price of onions have increased by a whopping 70%. This is the highest price rise for onions in the last 2 years. In Lasalgaon in Maharashtra, which is the largest wholesale market for onions in India, the average price has increased by 54 percent in just two weeks to Rs. 2550 per 100 kg.
Due to less rainfall in Maharashtra, the prices have reached a new high. The price of this kitchen essential may increase even further as there may be a mismatch of supply and demand due to less Monsoon rains in Maharashtra.
In 2014-15, around 18.9 million tonnes of onions were harvested. However, a good amount of the harvest was damaged due to untimely rains accompanied by hailstorms between February and April. As Indians use onions in most of their dishes, the country consumes up to 15 million tonnes per year.
In terms of rainfall, month of June has been good for the entire country. July has rather been punishing for Maharashtra. The biggest blow was over the Marathwada region. Other parts of the state including Vidarbha have shown some recovery. In the last 3 days, Vidarbha has received some good Monsoon showers.
However, Marathwada still remains deficient in terms of rainfall. With less rain in Maharashtra, the onion price rise situation is not expected to improve any time soon.
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