This refers to the report "Rising onion prices: Centre asks states to go after hoarders" (July 1). Onion is an important ingredient in most kitchen households. Its prices are skyrocketing, much to the chagrin of the common man. Vested interests have an uncanny knack of hoarding the produce to create artificial scarcity in the market and rake up huge profits in a jiffy. It is imperative to take certain stringent steps such as de-hoarding on war-footing, reducing the quantum of export, besides government agencies buying the produce directly from the farmers. By doing so, middlemen will be kept at bay and a fair price will be fixed in both the wholesale and retail market. There are reports that food grains, due to a shortage of storage facilities, are kept in the open and exposed to the vagaries of the weather. The government needs to build more godowns for the Food Corporation of India to ensure that these commodities do not rot.
H P Murali Bangalore
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