Hyderabad to procure onions from Egypt, prices likely to come down

Onions prices in the city are likely to come down soon as the government is procuring 500 metric tonnes of onions from Egypt. Initially, 100 metric tonnes of onions is set to reach the city on December 7 and is primarily sold at Saroornagar and Mehdipatnam rythu bazaars between 4 pm and 7 pm. They may be sold at Rs 60 per kg.

The onions are purchased at 55 per kg and are being sold at Rs 60-62 per kg including transport costs. The government also appealed to the centre to waive off the duty so that the onions can be sold at low prices. However, it is yet to be known if the people show interest in buying the onions as they are yellowish and taste different compared to red and white onions used in the city.

The state depends on Maharashtra for onions and used to procure 120-150 lorries per day. However, after the prices hiked, the state now gets 70-80 lorries now.