Thrissur: The wholesale price of shallot has risen to Rs 125 per kilogram. The price increased within two weeks. The merchants said that the price is likely to remain high for a few days.
Shallot is brought to Kerala mainly from Tamil Nadu. Due to heavy rain during the usual planting time, the farmers in Tamil Nadu delayed cultivation. With this, the harvest season also was delayed and this resulted in price hike.
Now, shallots from Mysuru is brought to the state. Wholesale price in Mysuru ranges from Rs 102 to Rs 125 according to the grade. The retail price for top grade shallot is around Rs 125-150. However, the merchants opined that the price will go down as soon as harvest begins in Tamil Nadu. After the price skyrocketed, the sale of shallot declined.
Following the trend, the price of onion also increased from Rs 40 to Rs 60 per kilogram. Onion is brought to Kerala from Maharashtra. The cultivation was delayed due to hostile weather and this affected the arrival of onion in markets. Nasik, which is the largest market of onions in Asia, also experienced a hike in onion price.
The export regulation on shallot, which was imposed due to the demand of farmers when the price increased last time, was revoked by the central government in the previous budget. This also resulted in price hike.
