No more tears: Onion prices set to drop in Chandigarh

Onion woes of the city are expected to end soon with supply from Nashik set to resume and the administration planning to sell these at subsidised rates in the city.

Officials of the UT administration have written to the central government to provide 250 quintals of onions from Nashik. An official of the UT food and supplies department, on the condition of anonymity, said that the onions would arrive from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) network. “As was done in the beginning of October, the UT administration will sell onions on no profit, no loss basis. The number of stalls that will be set up and the final price for which they will sell will be determined when the supply reaches the city,” the official added.

Officials say it could take about two weeks for the stalls to be set up again and there is likely to be a limit on how many onions one household can purchase. They will be able to track the vehicles when they leave from Mumbai, and two officials from the department will also go to Mumbai to check the stock there.

As per officials of the Punjab mandi board, onion from Nashik has also started coming to the city again, and about two truckloads of onion came to the city on Sunday. “More supply is expected in the coming days and prices are sure to fall.” The onions from Nashik are sold at the same price as the red Alwar onions but people were happy to see the white onion back in the market. Rajesh Batra, a businessman who was shopping at the Sector 34 apni mandi on Sunday, said that white onions tasted better and he was glad that the meals are set to taste nice again.

Prices have also started going down at the wholesale market in Sector 26. The imported onion from Turkey and Afghanistan is being sold at ₹65 to ₹70/kg while onion from Alwar is being sold at ₹80 to ₹90/kg.