With heavy rains hitting major regions of Maharashtra, Onion Crop production has been severely affected resulting scarcity of onion fear with raising prices in it.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka were to be the beneficiaries of an artificial onion scarcity being created by Maharashtra traders, reports accessed by India Today indicate.
“Onion prices have been spiraling in the sub-continent, especially in these countries, and traders in the onion belt of Maharashtra were trying to export to these countries and make a killing while hoarding continuously in India,” say sources.
On Friday, 15th September, big names in Onion Traders were raided which also includes the names of Om Prakash Raka of Lasalgaon, Khandu Pandit Deore of Umrane and Rameshwar Atal of Yeola.
The Intelligence Bureau had already raised a red flag for onions at least a month ago due to essential commodities were having a spike in prices like International crude oil.
Prices were on the hike with 50% and 20% in Lasalgaon and Delhi market been observed from August and September first week respectively. Observing a major change in prices, Central Bureau decided to act at such a crucial point.
The radial statistic came spinning with the names of in-fact raided traders only who were involved into an artificial price hike of onions even in 2010 & 2015.
The Income Tax realized that the modus operandi was to stop truck been reached at the mandis in specified time deliberately hawking people with the scarcity of onion beliefs. With such restriction, prices will have a big leap in the market.
Reports accessed by India Today indicate, “There have also been inputs of some traders in Lasalgaon and Pipalgaon holding back movement of stocks for the next 3-4 days in order to create artificial shortages”.
The department also revealed the pact between some traders of not selling the wholesale onions in the market below Rs. 27 per kg in the North East and Rs.25 per kg in the rest of the country.
The price range has risen from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 per quintal to Rs 80 to Rs 2,000 a quintal in Lasalgaon, and from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 a quintal to Rs1,000 to Rs 2,125 per quintal in Delhi in the last six weeks.
Presently, due to heavy rains hitting major regions of Maharashtra, Onion Crop production has been severely affected resulting scarcity of onion fear with raising prices in it.
