Sudden Onion Price Hike Leaves Consumers In Tears; Rates Up 40%

New Delhi: Days after soaring garlic prices threw the kitchen budget into total disarray, the retail prices of onion seems to be now burning a hole in the common man’s pocket.

Rates of onions are on the rise, posing challenges for both home kitchen and restaurants alike. The rise in onion prices was following Centre decision to withdraw the ban on onion exports.

At Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) -- the country's largest wholesale onion market --the average wholesale rates of onions zoomed by 40 percent on Monday.

Average price of onions per quintal rose from Rs 1,280 to Rs 1,800 on Monday with minimum and maximum prices being recorded at Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,100 per quintal respectively.

Onion Export Under Prohibition From 8th December 2023 Till 31st March 2024

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution had on 11 December 2023 announced that the export of onion has been put under prohibition w.e.f. 8th December, 2023 till 31st March, 2024 to ensure availability of onion to the domestic consumers at affordable prices.

The Government had said that it is keeping a close watch on the onion crop availability and prices to take necessary measures in the interest of both the consumers and the farmers. The procurement of onions from farmers under the Price Stabilisation will continue to ensure remunerative prices to farmers and both wholesale and retail interventions will continue in high price markets to make onions available to consumers at affordable prices.

As per the Department Of Consumer Affairs website, the All India Average Retail Price(₹/Kg) of essential commodities, vegetables and other kitchen staple As on 19/02/2024 is the following

Grains & Pulses List and their prices

Commodity	Prices
Rice	44.06
Wheat	30.99
Atta (Wheat)	36.13
Gram Dal	83.03
Tur/Arhar Dal	149.09
Urad Dal	123.03
Moong Dal	116.5
Masoor Dal	93.4

Oils and their prices

Commodity	Prices
Groundnut Oil (Packed)	190.03
Mustard Oil (Packed)	135.74
Vanaspati (Packed)	125.07
Soya Oil (Packed)	122.74
Sunflower Oil (Packed)	123.52
Palm Oil (Packed)	98.66

Vegetables and their prices

Commodity	Prices
Potato	21.98
Onion	32.26
Tomato	31.94

Others Commodities

Commodity	Prices
Sugar	44.47
Gur	52.76
Milk @	58.54
Tea Loose	281.56
Salt Pack (Iodised)	22.39

Garlic Prices Burn Hole In Common Man's Pocket A couple of days ago, reports had said that garlic prices soared above Rs 550 in UP with several cities registering price hike in the kitchen staple. As per several media reports, garlic prices are sold in the range of Rs 500-550 per per Kg in Uttar Pradesh. while better quality garlic is being sold at Rs 220-Rs 240 in the wholesale market, with the retail prices touching upto Rs 400 per kg in retail markets in several parts of the country.

In retail stores at Tiruchi's Gandhi Market, 1 kg of good quality garlic was being sold at Rs 400, reported the Hindu, while the Indian Express has reported that garlic prices were being sold between Rs 300 and Rs 400 per kg in most metro cities.