Hubballi: The drought-like condition in North Karnataka has led to a drastic fall in the supply and steep increase in the prices of onions at the Amargol APMC yard, which is one of the largest markets in Asia.
Onion crop from the neighbouring Maharashtra too has reduced to a trickle as farmers from that state too have been hit by severe shortage of rainfall. The price of onions has hit Rs 70 per kg in the retail market in the region. On Friday, at the wholesale market, a quintal of onions was sold at Rs 5,100.
The traders expect the prices to fall over the next few days with the arrival of onion produce from Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts.
Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag and Haveri districts are major producers of onion during monsoon. But this year, with the rain playing truant, the onion crop has dried up in large tracts of land across the region.
“We received 16.5 lakh quintals at the Amargol APMC yard last year. But this year, it has hardly touched 9-10 lakh quintals. The traders are selling onions in the retail market at a higher price. We hope that the price will come down over the next few days,” said Hubballi APMC Secretary S.B. Nyamagoudar.
