Even though the slump had been foreseen by traders and district supply officials alike for the past couple of days, the sudden collapse in the prices of onions and potatoes pleasantly surprised householders. The open market prices were even lower than that in the District Supply Office's fair price shops.

In Khanderao market, prices of quality potatoes and onions varied between Rs 10 and Rs 15 a kg, while at the 116 fair price shops in the city, onions sold for a fixed Rs 14 a kg. Till Sunday night, onions had cost Rs 22 a kg at the fair price shops and more than Rs 30 in the open market.

Potatoes, which were selling for Rs 14 a kg at the fair price shops, would also have cost more there than in the open market if the DSO's shops had not run out of the tuber. The administration has decided not to renew the supply of potatoes to the FP shops.

According to administrative sources, a similar decision with regard to onions, too, was being contemplated, though no announcements had been made till the time of going to Press.

Meanwhile, personnel manning FP shops in Panigate, Sayajigunj and Alkapuri told Express Newsline that there were hardly any takers for their onions as it was available in the open market at a lower price.

The fall in the prices of onions and potatoes was brought about by the supply of the vegetables from various parts of State as well as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, according to the DSO Ashok Singh and Gujarat Vegetable Traders Union's vice-president Sukhdev Patel.

Patel said following the arrival of potatoes on Monday night and Tuesday, prices of the tuber were expected to fall further to Rs 10 or Rs 8 within a couple of days. Onions, he predicted, would be available for anything between Rs 10 and Rs 15. About other vegetables, he said except for tomatoes, prices of all the other greens had already comedown substantially (see box). When contacted for details and the future plans, additional chief secretary, State Food and Civil Supplies Department Vijay Ranchan claimed his department had succeeded in ``influencing the market''. He added, ``We are keeping a watch on the market and may intervene again through various channels, including the FP shops, if traders try to distort prices''.