Onions from north Karnataka bring prices down

Imports from Egypt, China and Pakistan coupled with harvesting of the local crop have led to a fall in onion prices to Rs 45-55 a kg from Rs 70-80 in retail markets in Karnataka. Local produce reached the two main wholesale markets of Hubbali and Bengaluru in the last few days. The traders expect prices to decline further after the ongoing truckers' strike ends and more stock arrives from local farmers. At Hubballi wholesale onion market, the average price fell to Rs 45 a kg on Sunday from Rs 60-70 on Saturday. In the retail market in Bengaluru, prices fell by Rs 8 to Rs 10 a kg. Hopcoms stores sold onions at Rs 52 a kg on Sunday for a medium size onion, while best quality onion prices stood at Rs 57 a kg. The arrival of good quality red Egyptian onions brought the prices down, though arrivals weren't large enough to affect a major drop. Prices shot up to Rs 80 a kg last month after onion stocks were exhausted at Hubballi market, which supplies most of the state. This was a result drought and untimely rains in parts of Gadag, Bijapur, Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot and other major onion growing districts. Eventually, arrivals from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh also stopped. Officials said onion crops in several places were damaged by recent rains. Farmers who managed to protect their crops managed to get Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,500 per quintal. "About 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes of onion imported from Egypt has arrived in Karnataka but it has failed to check the prices. Prices have started to fall after the new crop was harvested in parts of north Karnataka last week," said Wahab Mulla, a leading onion merchant at Hubballi mandi. The bulbs are coming from Chitradurga, Ajjampur, Navalgud, Shiratti, Belagavi, Ballari and Bagalkot district to Hubballi, he added. Every day, 200 trucks arrive at Hubballi compared to 20 trucks two months ago, he added. -TOI