Visakhapatnam: In a bid to stop the prices of onion from going up further, the agriculture marketing department (AMD) has issued a warning against hoarding to both wholesalers and retailers. Officials said that no wholesaler will be allowed to stock more than 50 tonnes of onion. Retailers will be allowed to stock only 10 tonnes of onion.
Elaborating on how the checks are going to be put in place, a senior official of the department said, “A few teams have been formed that are keeping a tab on rythu bazaars and other vegetable markets. We will take stern action against those hoarding onions beyond the permissible limit.”
“We request the public to get in touch with either the department or vigilance officials if they come across something of the sort. We will not disclose their identities,” the official said.
Officials said that the crisis may go on till January. “Rainfall in Kurnool as well as in Maharashtra damaged the vegetable crop, causing acute shortage. The next onion crop is expected to arrive only by late January. If that works out, the situation might normalise by mid-February,” another senior official pointed out.
Meanwhile, the agriculture marketing department will continue to supply onions at a subsidised rate till the situation improves. The department is currently supplying around 3-4 tonnes of onions to each rythu bazaar in the state. The onion that is being subsidised is being sold at Rs 25 per kg and is restricted to 1 kg per family every week.
Speaking to TOI, KVN Upendra Kumar, assistant director of the AMD said, “We will continue supplying onions at a subsidised rate till the situation improves. But we won’t be able to provide more than 1 kg onion per family per week in the current situation.”
Elaborating on how the checks are going to be put in place, a senior official of the department said, “A few teams have been formed that are keeping a tab on rythu bazaars and other vegetable markets. We will take stern action against those hoarding onions beyond the permissible limit.”
“We request the public to get in touch with either the department or vigilance officials if they come across something of the sort. We will not disclose their identities,” the official said.
Officials said that the crisis may go on till January. “Rainfall in Kurnool as well as in Maharashtra damaged the vegetable crop, causing acute shortage. The next onion crop is expected to arrive only by late January. If that works out, the situation might normalise by mid-February,” another senior official pointed out.
Meanwhile, the agriculture marketing department will continue to supply onions at a subsidised rate till the situation improves. The department is currently supplying around 3-4 tonnes of onions to each rythu bazaar in the state. The onion that is being subsidised is being sold at Rs 25 per kg and is restricted to 1 kg per family every week.
Speaking to TOI, KVN Upendra Kumar, assistant director of the AMD said, “We will continue supplying onions at a subsidised rate till the situation improves. But we won’t be able to provide more than 1 kg onion per family per week in the current situation.”
