As Onion prices skyrocket, India's missions abroad asked to aid supply

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) on Wednesday advised the Union Government to act as a facilitator for Onion imports to ease the process and ensure quality supply from other countries. The Department through an inter-ministerial committee also reviewed the prices and availability of Onions. 

Onions to be sourced from other countries

The decision to source Onions from Indian missions in Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran to be requested to facilitate the supply of Onions to India was taken to regulate prices. The meeting also decided to relax the fumigation formalities and to facilitate imports. The NAFED was directed to supply the maximum possible quantities to Delhi Government after the prices of onions shot up to Rs 80 per kg on November 5. 

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Other key decisions taken in the meeting 

Two inter-ministerial teams are to depart for Karnataka and Rajasthan to take stock of the onion supplies in the state and encourage the supplies coming in from other states. The DoCA also advised the Delhi Government to accompany the inter-Ministerial team of officials going to Karnataka and Rajasthan. The officials will also hold a meeting with traders and asked them to pick supplies from the region and also advise them against profiteering and speculative pricing. 

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare including the Horticulture Commissioner, NAFED, Mother Dairy, Kendriya Bhandar, Representative of Delhi Government, a representative from APMC Azadpur and senior officials of the Department of Consumer Affairs. During the meeting, it was informed by officials that supply disruptions are mainly due to rain and two cyclones and it is expected to improve in the coming days.

Supply shortfalls due to delay in the arrival of stocks in markets led to the prices of onions to touch Rs 80 per kilogram in few cities. According to reports, the average price of onions at the benchmark Lasalgaon wholesale market was at Rs 55.50 per kilogram. Traders fear a further spike in onion prices as a high amount of crops have been damaged by the unseasonal November rains. 

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