THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The retail price of onion in the market has reached Rs 70. The wholesale price of onion in the Chalai market is Rs 65-68. The price of onion, which was sold at Rs 35 a week ago, has doubled in no time. The hike in the price of onion is due to the non-arrival of kharif stocks from major producing states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Shallots, which were priced at Rs 100 per kg, were sold at Rs 100-120 in the retail market yesterday. Although prices of vegetables had fallen after the end of the Onam season, the prices have been rising for a week.

Vegetables with rising prices

Item (Per Kg)​ ------Price (₹)​ Yesterday ---Price Last Month
Beans ---- 100 -------- 50-60
Big Chilly---- 150----- 60-70
Drumstick--- 90 ------ 50-60
Cucumber -------70----- 30-40
Bitter gourd -------- 70------- 45-50

Central government's intervention to control onion prices

The central government has taken steps to hold down the price of onion by ensuring its availability in the domestic market. The government, which has fixed the Minimum Export Price (MEP) of onion at USD 800 per metric tonne (Rs 67 per kg) from today till December 31, has announced that it will procure an additional two lakh tonnes. This is in addition to the five lakh tonnes procured so far.