NAVI MUMBAI: As prices of Maharashtra onions surge amid dwindling stocks, Egyptian onions have made their entry into the Vashi Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), offering some relief to bulk buyers facing higher costs.
Two containers carrying around 60 tonnes of Egyptian onions have arrived at the market. The imported variety is selling at ₹ 38-40 per kg, compared with ₹ 45-50 per kg for Maharashtra onions. Traders said around 80% of the imported consignment was being bought by hotels in Mumbai and its suburbs. Wholesale rates have climbed from ₹ 15-25 per kg in early September to ₹ 45-50 per kg, while retail prices have increased from ₹ 30-45 to around ₹ 60-70 per kg. Good-quality onions at Lasalgaon, Nashik district, were selling at around ₹ 55 per kg. Daily vehicle arrivals at Vashi APMC have fallen to around 60-70 from nearly 100 earlier, while demand from Delhi and southern states is drawing supplies out of Maharashtra. Trader Prakash Sawant said around 400 more containers were expected to arrive, potentially increasing supplies and putting downward pressure on Maharashtra onion prices.
“The first two containers have come to the market. This produce mainly goes to the hotel line, where the demand is higher. Egyptian onions are generally firm and uniform in size and have a longer shelf life, making them suitable for commercial kitchens. However, Indian onions remain preferred for traditional cooking for their sharper, more pungent flavour. The arrival of the Egyptian onions comes as Maharashtra onion prices have risen sharply. Traders attributed the rise to shrinking stocks of stored summer onions, lower arrivals and strong demand from other states. Persistent rainfall has also damaged some stored onions, affecting their quality and reducing marketable stocks. The situation could change if more imported onions enter the market.
Traders said hotels and other bulk buyers, rather than retail consumers, are driving demand for the imported produce. Very little of it goes to retail,” said trader Rahul Shelke.
The prospect has worried onion growers, who fear cheaper imports could erode the gains made on their remaining crop ahead of the next significant kharif harvest, expected in December. Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetti also opposed further imports, claiming around 400 containers were at the port and demanding that they be stopped from entering the market.
“If Egyptian onions are sold cheaper, our local farmers will suffer,” said onion grower Mangesh Patil. “If these onions enter the market, prices will crash again, wiping out the gains farmers have just begun to make,” Shetti said.
