Efforts to curb the rise in onion prices due to shortage are now being started by the states. The Center has offered to sell imported onions at the rate of 49 to 58 rupees per kg to the states. Many states have withdrawn its old demand for onions. With this, imported onions can now become a problem for central agencies. Onion prices have started to come down due to increasing domestic supply, due to which the concerned states are refusing to take expensive imported onions. The issue was discussed at length in a meeting of the High-Level Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, and Odisha are among the states that refuse to take expensive onion from abroad. Assam had asked for 10,000 tonnes of onions, though demand for 3480 tonnes of onions was from Maharashtra, 2500 tonnes from Haryana and Odisha for 100 tonnes. So far, 12000 tonnes of onions have reached the Mumbai port.

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Srivastava said that onions that reached Mumbai port can be sold to the states at the rate of Rs 49 to 58 per kg. Sources say that in states where prices of domestic onions have started coming in, prices have started coming down. In view of this, those states are finding imported onions costlier. Union Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said, 'When onion prices had gone up from 120 to 150 rupees per kg in November, then 33,139 tonnes of onions from the states were at that time. Apart from this, now imported onions have started reaching the ports and the prices in the respective states have stopped increasing or prices have come under control, then the states are retreating. The same central government has decided to sell onions on the basis of 'no profit, no loss'. He said that the Central Government is ready to bear the expenses of bringing onions from the port to the consumer market. On another question, Paswan said that the government cannot do anything about the taste of imported onions. Wherever onion was found, an attempt has been made to bring it from there. The government agency MMTC has so far signed an import contract of over 41 thousand tonnes.

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Substantial supply improvement only after February
Secretary Shrivastava informed that there is a possibility of substantial improvement in the supply of domestic onions only after February. Giving the same monthly estimated production figures, he said that it is estimated to produce 9.25 lakh tonnes as against 13.80 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Production in February is estimated to be 16.76 lakh tonnes, compared to 25.62 lakh tonnes in February last year. Onion production is expected to reach 29.26 lakh tonnes in March, compared to 25.8 lakh tonnes in the same month last year. Srivastava said that the daily consumption of onions in India is around 67 thousand tonnes.

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