Pune onion prices have risen by Rs 25 a kilogram in the wholesale market over the past one and a half months as delayed planting of the new red onion crop disrupts seasonal supplies, according to traders at the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market Yard. Retail prices in Pune have reached Rs 60 to Rs 70 a kilogram, while wholesale rates are currently between Rs 42 and Rs 50 a kilogram.
The increase follows a delay in red onion cultivation after an uneven monsoon affected planting in Pune and Nashik districts. Red onions are cultivated extensively in Shirur, Khed and Ambegaon in Pune district, as well as in Shrigonda and Parner in Ahilyanagar district. The delayed crop has pushed back the arrival of the next seasonal supply.
Ram Narwade, an onion trader at the Pune market yard, said wholesale onions were selling at Rs 18 to Rs 25 a kilogram about one and a half months ago. Current wholesale prices have increased to Rs 42 to Rs 50 a kilogram, while consumers are paying Rs 60 to Rs 70 a kilogram in the retail market.
Traders said arrivals at the market yard are currently coming from areas including Shirur, Khed, Manchar and Ambegaon in Pune district, along with Parner and Shrigonda. Onion cultivation in southern states has also been affected by inadequate rainfall, adding pressure to available supplies, according to the report.
The new red onion season is expected to begin later than usual. Traders estimate that it could take about two months for the new crop to begin arriving, while the price increase may continue to affect consumers for at least one and a half to two months.
The current price movement follows two years in which farmers received relatively weak returns for onions. Traders said farmers are now satisfied that prices have improved. The timing and scale of the new crop’s arrival will determine when supply conditions begin to change, but no further price projection was provided in the report.
