Belagavi: Onion prices have surged sharply in Belagavi ahead of the festive season as supplies dwindled and the arrival of the new local crop was delayed due to an erratic monsoon.Retail onion prices, which hovered around Rs 40 per kg last week, have now risen to Rs 60-70 per kg. Traders said onions are arriving from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab to bridge the supply gap. Farmers from Maharashtra are reportedly taking advantage of higher prices in the border region by bringing stored stocks to Belagavi markets.Belagavi, Karnataka’s third-largest horticulture-producing district, has around 7,350 hectares under onion cultivation. However, sowing was delayed this year owing to the late onset of the monsoon.APMC officials said nearly 21,000 quintals of onions arrived in the market last week. While local onions typically enter markets in September, arrivals are expected only in October this year.Farmer leader Prakash Nayak attributed the price rise to poor yields caused by drought in some areas and excessive rainfall in others. He also blamed reduced supplies from northern India and stockpiling by traders. Officials said wholesale onion prices have risen from around Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,500 per quintal over the past month. Once the local harvest reaches markets in October, prices are expected to ease.
