‘We may hike prices if onion remains costlier’

Onion prices had touched Rs 160-170 per kg in local vegetable markets across Mumbai and its suburbs over the last week.

However, on Monday, prices of the tuber began to fall by up to 30 per cent with onion growers bringing more domestic produce to wholesale markets to get the benefit of the higher prices.

“The onion prices are on a downward trend and have gone down by 30 per cent in Mumbai. We will wait and watch the trend for a week to 10 days before taking a decision of hiking prices on the dishes that contain onion,” Santosh Shetty, President, AHAR, said here. The rates of onions had increased sharply in the last two months, the tuber which was available in Rs 20 per kg, crossed over Rs 100, Shetty said.

“There are many hotels and restaurants which have cut down on onion-based items. If this situation continues, we will be left with no option but to increase the prices as we cannot sustain the business,” he added. The AHAR members had called for a meeting of hotel and restaurant owners last week to decide on the future course of action. In India, especially in Mumbai, onion is used for making gravy in almost all dishes. It is also served as Salad and Topping for free. But, after the rate hike, the restaurateurs stopped offering it for free.