AGARTALA, Dec 4 (TIWN): In a rare display of resentment, a top Congress leader has garlanded himself with onions during press conference in Agartala condemning onion price’s hike at Rs. 120. Addressing media, the Congress leader, who was also former State Congress President Gopal Roy said, “BJP and its Govt have crossed Hitler in pride of power. By wearing this garland of onions I want to mean that Biplab Deb has crossed even the Hitler. I call for people of Tripura’s consciousness Unemployed youths must be united. Workers to farmers all should be united in protest against the Govt’s autocracy. Today everyone is attacked, everyone is under sufferings. “All commodity prices are hiking, specially onion. Before 2014 when onion price was Rs. 25 and somethings light increased BJP came in massive protests. Now the price is Rs. 120 but Govt has zero concern about it. Govt is not to see things only but it can easily give by subsidies”, he said.

“Tomato’s price has increased at Rs. 80, potato Rs. 40. Petrol price went at Rs. 90. Diesel which was Rs. 52 in UPA time and now Rs. 72.97”, said Gopal Roy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C25E7-VDo1I&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2G3NWC2STfMW54y4OoorwRwn8x0g2El8SrqWseIjkBE8Sq4_vSqeC7Z94  Click TIWN YouTube Link to see Gopal Roy's speech

Report says, in some cities, onion prices are peaking at Rs 120-130 per kilo such as in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Odisha, and Pune.

Despite various measures having been put in place by the state and Central governments prices have been on fire and imports are now being made to cool down the retail level spike.

According to reports, shortfall in supply and also the mishandling of the buffer stock by the government’s APMC has led to sky rocketing of onion prices.

The other is said to be excessive rain in key onion producing states across country such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar which has caused shortfall in supply.

Another reason for price hike is believed to be the delay in the arrival of monsoon, which in turn delayed sowing.

This resulted in a cascading effect on arrival in the mandis. The situation has led to illegal hoarding by unscrupulous traders. The illegal hoarding of onion ahead of the festive season is also one of the major reasons.

Many traders in Delhi resorted to large-scale, pre-festival hoarding, a fact that the Delhi government acknowledged at a review meeting. As per statistics, onion Production has gone down by 50% in the year 2019.

If the government data on onion production from the past 5 years are analysed, it can be seen that the onion production in 2019 nearly halved in comparison to 2018. In the past five years, the total onion production in all of India in September, on average, was 6 to 6.5 lakh metric tonnes which were sold at an average price of Rs. 10-20 per kg for the customer.

Wholesale tomato prices had touched Rs 70 per kilo in end-July, on the back of a severe supply shortage in vegetable mandis. In certain markets, tomatoes competed with pears and apples, selling at retail prices in excess of Rs 140 per kilo. The rise in tomato prices bares the hardships and uncertainties faced by vegetable farmers for several years.

Agriculture directly and indirectly occupies 70 percent of India’s workforce but comprises only 14 percent of the GDP.