Rising onion prices continue to pinch buyers in Visakhapatnam

Onion deficit has affected most parts of India including Visakhapatnam. Dearth in the supply of the vegetable has led to the prices steadily increasing in the city. Within a couple of weeks, the onion prices have reached a staggering Rs 80 per kg in Visakhapatnam.

The department of horticulture had decided to provide subsidized onions to the markets, but even the supplied onions missed the demand margin by a mile. While 150 tonnes of onions are consumed in the city every day, the markets have been unable to supply even one-fourth of the required amount.

The deficit in the city can be traced to the supply areas Kurnool, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Excessive rains affected the produce this season, which sent the farmers into losses and consumers into a frenzy. Adding to the woes, the stored stock has been rotting due to excessive moisture in the air. Consumers in the markets have been complaining about the deteriorating quality of onions too.

The supply of subsidized onions has been scarce, barely enough to meet the demands. Buyers have been forced to stand in long queues at MVP Colony and Seetammadhaara markets just to get a kilogram of onions. In some cases, the queues have stretched up to 500 meters. Last week, around 25,650 people bought the subsidized onions across 13 rythu bazaars. However, this doesn’t cover even 10% of the total city’s demand, as each of the buyers could only buy up to one kg each. The rising onion prices seem to be taking a toll on eateries in Visakhapatnam as well.