PUNE: The prices of onion continue to bring tears to the consumers as the wholesale price of the commodity increased to Rs 61 per kg at Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Pune on Sunday. Its price hit Rs 80 per kg in the retail market. 

The price of leafy vegetables such as coriander continues to soar at Rs 70 per bundle, while other leafy vegetables like methi (fenugreek) and palak (spinach) have reached Rs 50 per bundle.

“The new onion is of very poor quality as most of it got destroyed. The wholesale price is Rs 30 but due to poor quality, there are not many takers, while the wholesale price of old and stock onion has increased to Rs 61 as they are also available in less quantity,” said Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market Yard President Vilas Bhujbal.

Maruti Chinde, an onion farmer said, “The new crop of kharif onion has been damaged and the yield has also reduced. Last year, on an average, total 15 tonnes onion was produced on one acre of land, while this year, we managed to get only 5 tonnes. The quality of new onion crop is poor and gets damaged very easily.” 

Leafy vegetables
Rajendra Jadhav, a vegetable vendor at Mahatma Phule Mandai, said, “The leafy vegetables such as coriander continue to soar at Rs 70 per bundle, while others such as palak are Rs 50 per bundle. There is not enough supply in the market and also the produce is of poor quality.”

“Leafy vegetables are worst hit and there is very less local supply and most of it from Haryana and Rajasthan which is of cold storage and of poor quality,” said Bhujbal.

“The leafy vegetables are the most sensitive crops and suffered the most. As the rains have stopped now, the new crops of leafy vegetables will come in next 15 to 20 days which will improve the supply and bring the prices down,” said Vegetables Growers Association of India President Shriram Gadhave.