Onion prices fall as huge stocks flood markets in Hyderabad

Onions are being sold at Rs 17 to Rs 21 per kg online, while in retail and grocery shops, the prices are between Rs 16 to Rs 25 per kg, depending on the size and quality of the onions

Hyderabad: No dish in Indian cuisine is complete without the usage of onions. No wonder, they are considered one of the necessary kitchen staples when it comes to cooking food.

With the marriage season underway, even a small fluctuation in the prices of onions can affect most households, hotels, and restaurants given the huge amount of onions that go into preparing food for weddings, receptions, and other parties. However, the drop in the prices of onions in Hyderabad this season has come as a much-needed respite to hoteliers and caterers.

Bumper yield

Several markets in the city are flooded with onion stocks, including the Malakpet market, leading to a sharp decline in the prices of the bulbs.

The prices have come down from Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,000 per quintal to Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per quintal at the wholesale markets. Traders attribute the price drop to bumper onion harvest in Maharashtra, which resulted in an oversupply of onions in Hyderabad.

“The drop in prices of onion is due to better production this year in several parts of India, particularly in Maharashtra. It has brought a sigh of relief to households and hoteliers amid recent hikes in the prices of both commercial and cooking gases, particularly with the ongoing marriage season,” said a trader at Malakpet Market.

The onions are being sold at Rs 17 to Rs 21 per kg online, while in retail and grocery shops, the prices are between Rs 16 to Rs 25 per kg, depending on the size and quality of the onions.

“Grade 1 onions are being sold at Rs 1,200-1400 per quintal, while the small size onions (sambar onion) and panga variety onions are being sold between Rs 200 to Rs 350. In the coming months too, we may not see a sharp rise in the market,” said a trader Mohan Rao at the Malakpet market.

Rakesh, another trader said around 70 trucks of onion from different States such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh were arriving at the market. Truck loads were also coming from the Narayankhed, Tandur, and Mahabubnagar of Telangana, he added.