Wholesale onion prices have jumped sharply at major Maharashtra mandis as supplies decline.
Lasalgaon mandi’s average price rose from ₹2,180 to ₹2,760 per quintal within five trading days.
Highlights
- Wholesale onion prices have risen sharply at Maharashtra’s key mandis.
- Lasalgaon mandi recorded a 25% increase in average prices in five trading days.
- Prices increased from ₹2,180 per quintal on August 8 to ₹2,760 per quintal on Thursday.
- Daily arrivals at Lasalgaon have fallen nearly 50% over the past two weeks.
- Arrivals dropped from around 15,000 quintals to nearly 8,000 quintals.
- The government is reportedly preparing to release buffer stock onions from the first week of September.
Story
Wholesale onion prices have increased sharply at key mandis in Maharashtra as a steep decline in daily arrivals puts pressure on supplies.
At the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), one of the country’s important onion markets, the average wholesale price increased by 25% over the past five trading days.
The average price rose from ₹2,180 per quintal on August 8 to ₹2,760 per quintal on Thursday, according to the report.
The rise in prices comes alongside a significant reduction in the quantity of onions arriving at the mandi.
Daily onion arrivals at Lasalgaon APMC have declined by nearly 50% during the past two weeks. The mandi was earlier receiving around 15,000 quintals of onions per day, but arrivals have now dropped to approximately 8,000 quintals.
Wholesale onion prices have also increased at the Pimpalgaon mandi, highlighting the supply pressure in Maharashtra’s major onion trading centres.
The sharp reduction in arrivals has emerged as an important factor behind the recent increase in wholesale prices.
Meanwhile, the government is reportedly preparing to intervene if onion prices continue to rise.
According to a report cited by Business Today, the government is preparing to begin selling onions from its buffer stock from the first week of September. The move is aimed at checking any further increase in onion prices.
Buffer stocks can be released into the market to improve supplies when availability tightens and prices begin rising sharply.
For now, the focus remains on onion arrivals at major Maharashtra mandis. A continued decline in supplies could keep wholesale prices under pressure, while higher arrivals or the planned release of government buffer stocks could help improve availability.
The latest movement at Lasalgaon is therefore likely to remain closely watched as the government prepares for a possible buffer-stock intervention in September.
