Meanwhile, the central government has decided to import 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions to improve the domestic supply and control prices, amid increasing prices of the staple.
Rajendra Sharma, President, Onion Merchant Association and a trader at Azadpur Mandi said that the average daily consumption of onions across the country is around 50,000-60,000. So, the import of 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions is equivalent to a two-day consumption. "The increase in the onion prices is natural as there is insufficient supply in Delhi," he added.
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Agriculture expert Vijay Sardana said that due to improper onion storage in the country, the stock of the previous season was wasted. While the new crop has been destroyed due to the weather. "At present, there is a need to import about 10 lakh tonnes of onions. However, it's impractical as onions in such a large quantity will not be available abroad," Sardana said.
The government is trying to procure onions from Egypt, Turkey, Holland and other countries. State-owned MMTC has also signed contracts with Egypt for onion imports and an onion consignment of 6,090 tonnes will be available in the country next month.
(with inputs from IANS)