Onion price crash irks importers

Prices of onions imported from Pakistan crashed at the Agricultural Produce market Committee (APMC) at Navi Mumbai today, burning a hole in the pocket of importers.

The onions were sold at Rs 10-11 per kg against a buying price of Rs 14-15 per kg, said market officials. Around 20 trucks with 220 tonne (2.2 lakh kg) of onions came into the APMC market today from Pakistan. Meanwhile, JNPT officials said all the 82 containers had been custom cleared from the port.

Traders said the quality of imported onions was second grade and the stock had begun to mould and rot in some cases.

Nearly 25 per cent of the stock was rotten, traders said. "It took five days to get clearance from port authorities, and all this while the stock was stranded in steel containers under the sun. This delayed the distribution and spoilt the stock," said Ramdas, an APMC trader.

The wholesale price of onions from Maharashtra and karnataka has dropped from Rs 20-22 a kg during last week to Rs 12-16.

Maharashtra and Karnataka onions are priced at Rs 125- 160 per 10 kg in the whosale market, with the retail price hovering around Rs 18 and Rs 20.

One hundred and twenty five trucks came into the APMC market today with 1400 tonne of onions. Traders expect the price will to roll down by around Rs 2-5 per kg in a couple of days, especially before Diwali as more winter crop from Dharwad, Dhulia and Nashik is expected to come in.

Market sources also said the Chinese imports which were expected in another 20 days would go straight to Delhi and other northern markets, and would not come to Mumbai. Traders also said that green chinese onions are not popular in India and are unlikely to make an impact on the prices. The government has placed an order for 1000 tonne from China this week through Nafed.

The state government disowned any responsibility for the delay in imported onions stocks hitting the market.

"The government's responsibility in the onion import issue is limited to the lifting the ban on import. We cannot do anything as far as the quality is concerned. Whatever profit or loss that is made out of import is for the traders to decide," said a senior official from the government's marketing department.

BRINGING TEARS

The onions were sold at Rs 10-11 per kg against a buying price of Rs 14-15 per kg

The quality of imported onions was second grade and nearly 25 per cent of the stock was rotten

Traders expect the price will to roll down by around Rs 2-5 per kg in a couple of days