Indian onion lovers in tears as prices soar

 

Many consumers prefer onions from India over those from other countries. (Bernama pic)

BATU PAHAT: Prices of onions from India, which most local consumers prefer to use in their cooking, have shot up drastically because of reduced imports following the monsoon and flood disasters in the republic.

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Rosol Wahid said consumers should seek alternatives by opting for onions from countries like Thailand, Pakistan, China, the Netherlands, Myanmar and Indonesia.

Currently, he said only the prices of Indian onions had gone up drastically but the supplies from other countries were adequate with no price increase.

“However, I find local consumers prefer the onions from India instead of those imported from other countries,’’ he told reporters after visiting the Teo Seng Capital Berhad egg factory in Yong Peng, near here, today.

Rosol said consumers using Indian onions must be patient for now and fall back on unions from other countries first.

‘’The ministry will continue to seek new sources from other onion-exporting countries to meet the demand,” he said.

He said food supply was adequate currently and permitted wholesalers could store 30% more than the normal quota fixed by the ministry for the monsoon season which had just started.

‘’It is aimed at ensuring the people will not run out of food items during the monsoon season and also due to the various movement control orders imposed in several parts of the country.” - FMT