The wholesale price of onion today rose by up to Rs 8 per kg in Delhi due to drop in arrivals following winter fog.

Its price also rose in Pimpalgaon while it slid substantially in Lasalgaon (the largest onion market in the country), even as an official team is in Nashik to assess crop damage due to unseasonal rains during November—December.

Traders said onion prices rose by Rs 3 a kg today in Azadpur market (Asia’s biggest wholesale fruits & vegetables market) due to low arrivals caused by winter fog.

Onion was sold at Rs 12—40 per kg depending on quality of the produce in the Azadpur market against Rs 10—37.5 per kg yesterday, they said.

“There has been substantial fall in number of vehicles arriving in the market today from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh,” said Mr Rajendra Sharma, General Secretary of the Azadpur market—based Onion Merchants Association.

Only about 550 tonnes of onion reached Azadpur market today against 850 tonnes yesterday, Mr Sharma said.

In Nashik, the wholesale price of onion in Pimpalgaon today rose by Rs 8 a kg to Rs 46/kg against Rs 38/kg yesterday, NHRDF sources said.

“Some farmers in the area are unhappy over softening of prices of the vegetables and, hence, bringing less quantity to the purchasing centres,” Mr R K Gupta, Director NHRDF (National Horticultural Research Development Foundation), Nashik, said over phone.

However, the bulk purchase rate of the root vegetable in Lasalgaon, which is also a bulk producing region in Nashik district of Maharashtra, dropped substantially by Rs 16/kg from 47/kg yesterday to Rs 31/kg.

Meanwhile, a team of agriculture ministry is meeting officials at Nashik today to assess the extent of damage to the crop due to unseasonal rains in November—December this year, official sources said. - PTI

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