Onion: Yes A Tearful Ingredient

      One of the most extensively used ingredient in Indian cuisine whether it is vegetarian or non vegetarian without any doubt it is Onion, but from few days now onions becomes one of the most exclusively talk issue on every platform of the country because of its roof breaking price movement in retail and wholesale markets from few days time, which it normally sells during the month of December and January at around 10 to 12 Rupees per kilogram as its new crops starts hitting markets of the country, but this year in just less then week period prices of onion per kilogram in different markets of the country touches 60 to 80 rupees per kilogram, it not only spoil budget of every Indians but also disappear from the plates of more then half of Indians thus make their dishes tasteless as in one time around three hundred and fifty gram of onion goes in a dish. It makes every citizen of the country vocal against government mismanagement; now political parties find issue to get down on streets on the matter of onion’s high price. Question rises here what is the reason behind high price of onions in the country? Whatever reason may be but government cannot escape from the responsibilities of onions sharp price rise, as in the country only Food and Agriculture Minister and Group of Ministers of the country have information about exact position of government, had it been any shortage between demand and supply then instead of releasing statements and exposing government status before procuring required quantity, minister simply inviting international markets to raise the prices of specific commodities plus to hoarders and black marketers in the country to intensify their activities and create shortage, it mean minister is acting on behalf of handful persons instead of average common people of the country.
      During the month of December and January new crops starts arriving in the markets across the country and prices remain at reasonable range but because of typhoon in southern India onions crop was damage and recently rainfall in Maharashtra and Rajasthan onions crops yield effected in the country, then action of government alerts the traders and hoarders-

• Ban on export of onions till 15th of January next year.
• Prices of onions will remain high for next three to four weeks in the country”, as per Food and Agriculture Minister Mr. Shared Pawar words, and he further adds that it is due to rainfall in the areas where onion produce.
• Government import onions from Pakistan 35 trucks(a truck contains 20 tons of onion) through Bagha border just to reduce the shortage of onions from the country.

With the result of above movement relating to the onions commodities in the wholesale markets of the country’s capital it has seen twenty percent shortage of onion supply and demand falls, prices shoots of onion to 60 rupees per kilogram, but traders are positive that in few days time arrival of fresh crops will reduce the price. Considering this government agencies and Delhi government has taken the initiatives to relief public of Delhi, but it will help only three to four percent of the country rest will have feel the pinch of high prices’ –

• National Agriculture Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) step ahead to ease the pressure on public of onions rising prices by declaring of selling onions in Delhi at lot of places through stalls.
• Chief Minister of Delhi said in a statement that government will do everything to control onions prices at average level.

Prime Minister Office(PMO) taking note of the statement of Food and Agriculture Minster and rise of onions prices’ double in days, order F&A ministry to do all the efforts for onions prices to remain under control and will monitor situation of onion prices in the country on daily basis.
       Although Central Government has plan to prices of one of the widely used or essential commodities of Indian cuisine not to move further south end so that it may not become target of negative publicity of media and opposition party’s of the country, shocking part here is that producer of the crops (farmers) are selling to the traders at 15 to 20 rupees per kg but it’s the traders and black marketers which are earning huge profits. It is the government liabilities to take immediate action in this regards so that prices will come down instead of rumors prove true that it will touch 100 Rupees, like–

• Ban on export of onions for long duration not for specific short period until and unless it not come down to a reasonable level in the country.
• Government keep on raiding on to the premises of hoarders and black marketers and anybody found with buffer stock should slap with huge fine and even term of prison.
• Minister should not allow to speak to media regarding position of stock in the country, moreover should take action and place orders in the international markets to strengthen the stock positioning the country.
• Government agencies sell onions across country at reasonable rates.
• Good to note government has scrap import duty from five percent to zero on onions.