Onions are touching an unbelievable retail rate of Rs.80 per kilogram in some parts of Delhi and in other parts of India, as most of the crop has been destroyed by the heavy monsoon showers.
According to televison channel reports and other media reports, the price of onions has risen by over thirty two percent in the week gone by.
The average wholesale price of onions has more than doubled since the beginning of this month.
Insiders in the trade say prices are not likely to reverse till around the end of September.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Tariq Anwar said: "This is an issue of concern. It won't be wrong to say that middlemen are taking advantage of this.
There should be a strict investigation against such people by state governments."
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He also said that he did not forsee a shortage of onions, as it is being imported from many states like Rajasthan.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said: "The price of onion is increasing day by day. This is because the government is refusing to react. We want an answer from the government.
Congress leader Jagdambika Pal said: "It is very natural that the price hike of onion will definitely affect poor people."
BJP leader Vinay Katiyar said: " The price of onion is rising in many parts of the nation. This is a big problem and the Congress Party is responsible for this. If there is a surplus, then why are the prices high? Congress party's policies are not correct.
Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi blamed the rise in onion prices on low productivity and lack in crops.
"If the supply is less, the prices are likely to go up," he opined.
Meanwhile in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, vegetable vendors like Mohammad Rayees and Guddu complained of people purchasing less vegetables, including onions, due to the unprecedented price rise.
"People are buying less due to the price hike. The price will increase more. People are buying less due to this. We are experiencing a loss," Mohammad Rayees.
"People are buying less than a kilogram, whereas before they used to buy three to five kilograms together. In coming days the price will increase more," added Guddu.
"The price have increased so much I thin k we will have to leave eating onion," said Ahmadullah Khan, a buyer.
Mohammad Shah, a buyer, "The situation has become bad."
The price have increased so much that we can't even think of eating onion everyday
Experts say the trend is unlikely to reverse any time soon and the earliest respite can be expected around the end of September.
Delhi gets its onions from three states at this time. In Maharashtra, the wholesale price of onion was about Rs 50 per kg which, when brought to Delhi, went up by Rs 5 per kg after factoring in cost of transport and other overheads. In Rajasthan, the crop is at its fag end while in Madhya Pradesh only about 15 per cent of the crop remains.