Tamil Nadu to retail onions, prices dip in Chennai

"Compared to yesterday (Tuesday), the onion prices have come down. Today, medium sized onions are being sold at Rs.60 a kg, whereas bigger ones are sold at Rs.80 per kg," a wholesale vendor in Koyambedu market told IANS.

Tuesday's wholesale rate hovered around Rs.70 per kg, while at the retail level it was priced at around Rs.100 per kg.According to the vendor, onion supplies have improved slightly. He also rejected the accusation that traders were hoarding the vegetable.
However, the dip provided little comfort to consumers, as Wednesday's prices were still higher than last week's price of around Rs.50 a kg.

"The prices are still higher compared to last week's rates. The prices of green vegetables too continue to be high with beans selling at around Rs.35 per kg and tomato at Rs.40," Shanthi Rangaraj, a homemaker, told IANS.

Tamil Nadu Food Minister A.V. Velu announced that the government will start wholesale and retail sales of onion at its cooperative stores on a no-profit-no-loss basis.

He said the state was dependent on arrivals from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, and was thus severely hit by the rising prices.He said a team of officials will visit onion markets in north India to procure the vegetable.