Onion for sale at a shop in Coimbatore city on Friday.
| Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY
Prices of onion in the wholesale markets of Coimbatore city have soared to ₹50-₹55 a kg for big onion and ₹90 for small onion.Small onion arrives in Coimbatore mainly from other parts of the State, and its wholesale price has remained at ₹90 a kg for almost two weeks. Big onion price (bulk) per kg was ₹40 last week, but it has gone up to ₹45 a kg. For the past two days it is ₹50-₹55 a kg.Big onion arrivals from Karnataka was at just 50% of the usual quantity, and the arrivals from Maharashtra were what was in stock with private traders across the country since the April harvest, said M. Rajendran, president of the Thyagi Kumaran Market Vegetable Traders Association.The quality of fresh arrivals from Karnataka, which began on August 15 and would last till the end of October, was good. The vegetable, however, is smaller than usual this year because of poor rains in that State. “The quantity coming from Karnataka will be less this year. Fresh arrivals from Maharashtra will begin in November,” he said.It was reported that big onion stock with NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) was at just 50% of the usual quantity, and its quality was also said to be poor.The Centre or the State should permit onion imports and increase supply of onion through public distribution outlets, he added. Published - September 04, 2026 07:55 pm IST
