Onions are once again at the center of discussion in India, as prices broke the century barrier in the country and are selling at more than 100 rupees per kilo, Saturday, October 24.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) said on Friday, October 23, that the government is left with only 25,000 tons of onion stock in its buffer that is likely to get exhausted by the beginning of November.
NAFED is currently offloading onions from both its buffer stock, as well as the wholesale and retail market.
India is the world's biggest exporter of onions, a staple of South Asian cooking. Countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia and Sri Lanka rely on Indian shipments.
The humble vegetable in the past has toppled governments in India because of the failure of the administration to control its prices.
Excessive rainfall in India's southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have damaged summer-sown crop and delayed harvesting in other states experts said.
(Reuters)