While onion prices in India reached 50 rupee per kilo in September, at the moment, with the harvest recently started, they stand at 30-35 rupee/kilo, as according to Mr Sable, Assistant General Manager at Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board, “arrivals in the market have drastically increased with the start of the new harvest.” In general, he says that growers are very happy about the good rates they receive, although in terms of quality, only after 15 November will it be good enough for export.
He explains that the season will last from September up until May. “Between June and September, there is no production in Maharashtra. This year, in June and July, there was very little rain, so the start of the harvest was delayed from September to the first week of October. That is why there’s scarcity in the market and prices were up, but the situation now is normal.”
Mr Sable assures that onions are an important part in the diet of Indian consumers, with an average of nearly 50 grams per person per day. “No cooking is done in India without onions,” with a local product that stands out for its quality and pungency, and “imports from countries like Egypt ensure that there is never scarcity.”
