Once again onion rates have sharply increased in retail markets of Karachi. The price of onion has registered sharp increase in the last few days regardless of import from neighbouring countries. Retailers are demanding Rs 45-50 per kg depending on size, quality and area as against Rs 25-30 per kg a few days ago. Retailers claimed short supply of onion and its higher price at wholesale have pushed prices up at retail.
However, with the arrival of new crop of potato, its prices registered a decline from Rs 35- 40 per kg to Rs 20 -25 depending on quality and size. Tomato is tagged at Rs 55 to Rs 60 per kg at retail. It may be motioned that due to floods last year, onion production in Sindh alone registered a decline of 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes.
Pakistan had to import the main staple food item-onion-from various countries to meet the demand and supply gap after last year's rains and floods which destroyed 80 percent of ready crop of onion in various parts of Sindh. It seems that consumers are not benefiting either because of costlier imports or huge profit margin being charged by retailers. Sindh is a big producer of onion, which not only provides the vegetable to the whole of Punjab, but also exports good quality produce.
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