Customers across India are shelling out more money to buy onions, potatoes and tomatoes as vegetable prices continue to rise in cities across the country.
Onion prices have surged by ₹30-40 per kilogram (kg) to ₹70-80/kg in the wholesale markets from ₹40-60/kg the week prior, according to an ANI report. A local seller in Delhi told the news agency that average price of onions has risen to ₹60-70/kg, adding that sales have not decreased yet.
“The price of onions has risen from ₹60 to ₹70 per kilo. We source it from the mandi so the prices we receive from there affect the prices on which we sell it. There has been a reduction in sales because of the price hike but people are still purchasing it since it is an important part of food eating habits here,” the seller said.
The report noted onion prices in Delhi markets at ₹80/kg on November 8. One consumer told the agency that they expected prices to reduce given its winter season, adding that the hike has affected eating habits in her household. “I purchased onions at 70 ₹per kilo. It has affected food-eating habits in the household. I appeal the government to at least reduce the prices of vegetables that are eaten every day,” Faiza told ANI.
In Mumbai, customers reported prices reaching ₹72/kg. Buyer Dr Khan told ANI that he purchased 5 kg onions for ₹360, while price of garlic has doubled. “The price of onions and garlic has gone up manifold. It has doubled. This has also affected the budget of the household,” Dr Khan said.
According to an BusinessInsider report, tomato prices are “more than doubled” from same time last year at ₹64/kg, while potato prices have skyrocketed by 51 per cent since October 2023. September rains delayed the arrival of the kharif harvest, leading to a shortage, the report added.
Consumer price inflation in India climbed to a 14-month high of 5.81 per cent in October primarily due to a spike in vegetable and edible oil prices, a Reuters poll of economists predicted.
This is a shade below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) tolerance threshold of 6 per cent.
(With inputs from ANI and Reuters)
