EXCLUSIVE | Onion Prices touch Rs 82 per kilo in Guwahati

Guwahati, December 2, 2019:

Amid skyrocketing prices of onions in the state, a team from Inside Northeast visited some onion stalls in Ganeshguri market in Guwahati city to find out what is causing the prices of the vegetable to rise to astronomical levels.

Upon talking to the vendors, it was discovered that the wholesellers are selling onions at around Rs 70 per kilo, and the sellers themselves are selling the vegetable at around Rs. 82. "Since the price of the vegetable is Rupees 70, and carrying charges are Rupees 6 (per kilo), we collect a measly profit of Rs 6 from selling the vegetable."

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Another seller had stern words for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government, and states that while the Congress Government had reduced the prices of the vegetable during a similar inflation, the BJP has failed to do so.

Consumers also told us that they have stopped consuming the vegetable altogether. "Instead of using onions in meat, we are using a mixture of other spices. There is no other option. We will use it once again if the prices come down", a worried consumer said.

It may be mentioned here that the skyrocketing prices of onions across Assam continue to bring grief to the denizens of Assam, where prices of the vegetable have almost touched Rs 100 per kilogram.

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In some places, such as Tangla, in Assam’s Udalguri district, onion prices have reportedly hit the century mark, and in other parts of the state as well, the prices continue to skyrocket with each passing day.

In a noteworthy incident, Assam Congress MPs recently entered the Lok Sabha wearing garlands made of onions -- as a mark of protest against the price rise.

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