In Kolkata, West Bengal, onion prices go up whenever the puja season arrives, and this year is no exception. Onions now sell at Rs 48 to 50 a kg in the retail market, and Rs 52 in some places.
Last week onions were Rs 34 to 40 a kg in retail and Rs 29 to 30 wholesale. On Saturday (9 October) the price rose to Rs 39.
Wholesale onion traders in Kolkata give several reasons: higher fuel prices in India, some onions damaged by rain, and news that the border will close during the puja, which has sent larger quantities of onions towards Bangladesh in advance. For these reasons prices in Kolkata have risen on the week.
Lower than last year
In 2020, however, onions were selling at Rs 100 to 110 a kg in retail at this time, against Rs 50 this year.
Every year at this time people in West Bengal depend on onions from Nashik and Andhra. Demand rises in the puja season, and with supply short, the price has gone up by Rs 10 a kg.
The whole of October is puja season, so Kolkata's onion traders think prices may rise further.
This week, retail onion prices in Bangladesh also rose suddenly, with local onions now costing Tk 70-80 a kg instead of Tk 50.
Source: Banglanews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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