NASHIK, Nov 6: Adverse climatic conditions have delayed the kharif onion harvest boosting the prices of onions at the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), the biggest wholesale onion market in the country. Prices which were in the range of Rs 150 to Rs 200 per quintal in June this year, prompting farmers to throw onions at two ministers (Babanrao Gholap and Tukaram Dighole), have skyrocketed to over Rs 600 per quintal.

On Tuesday, the Lasalgaon APMC received 287 tractorloads of onions (about 9,000 quintals), the best quality fetching Rs 634 per quintal. The arrivals at the APMC have started decreasing as the fresh kharif crop (Pol variety) is yet to arrive and the rabi stocks are depleting. About a month ago, the APMC used to receive around 400 tractorloads of onions, which used to fetch Rs 400 to Rs 460 per quintal.

The delayed monsoon, dry spells and hailstorms in April have adversely affected the kharif crop which is yet to be harvested. The Pol variety grown in monsoon is at the mercy of nature and any fluctuation in climate affects the production and prices. Rabi stocks stored by big traders who have the required infrastructure, are being selectively released into the market with an eye on the prices. The prices are likely to move upwards at least for another month.

It may be recalled that prices had plummeted to around Rs 150 per quintal in June this year following a glut at Lasalgaon. Onion farmers had pelted onions at Gholap and Dighole at Yeola on June 22, demanding government's intervention in the glut. The issue had been raised in the State Legislature on July 9, when onions were hurled by opposition members.

The glut has blown over and the lean season has set in. The arrival of onions has started decreasing from over 600 tractorloads in April, to less than 300 tractorloads this week, the prices crossing the Rs 600 per quintal mark.

Nashik district has about 21,000 hectares of land under onion cultivation, producing about 4.75 lakh tonnes per annum, which is about 40 per cent of onions grown in Maharashtra. The state leads in onion cultivation by producing about 30 per cent of the national yield of 3.35 million tonnes.

In 1993, extreme scarcity of onions had skyrocketed the prices of onions upto Rs 1,500 per quintal, which was a record high. The retail prices in Mumbai then were in the range of Rs 18 to Rs 20 per kilo. In the subsequent season, in 1994, the Central Government had banned exports.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.