Traders trace the roots of the current squeeze back to April, when unseasonal rains damaged onion crops and hit output. (File)Onion prices in Pune have climbed over the past few weeks, with traders blaming a steep fall in the supply arriving at the city’s wholesale market. According to Yogesh Yadav, an onion trader at the Gultekdi APMC market, Pune typically needs around 125 trucks of onions a day, each carrying about 10,000 kg, to meet demand. Currently, only about 50 trucks are arriving daily, a shortfall that has pushed prices upward across the city.Wholesale rates for good quality onions are now ranging between Rs 35 and Rs 40 per kg, while lower-grade, older stock is selling for Rs 30-35 per kg. The impact is even more visible at the retail level, where prices swing widely across Pune, from Rs 45 per kg to over Rs 65 per kg depending on the locality and quality.Traders trace the roots of the current squeeze back to April, when unseasonal rains damaged onion crops and hit output. Adding to the pressure is an expected delay in the arrival of the kharif crop, along with continuing exports, both of which are keeping supplies tight. Yadav said, “If the conditions remain the same, onion prices are likely to remain elevated, in the range of Rs 45-50 per kg,until Diwali. Though this could change depending on how the government steps in.”One such intervention has already been made. On Friday, the first ‘Kanda Express’ – a dedicated rail rake carrying roughly 453.65 tonnes of onions from Nashik – reached Delhi, part of a government push to boost supplies in the capital and neighbouring cities and cool down prices there.The move, however, has had a ripple effect back when the wholesale onion prices at Nashik’s Lasalgaon APMC, the country’s largest onion market, fell by about 10 per cent, dropping from Rs 4,250 per quintal on Thursday to Rs 3,800 per quintal.The Centre’s move has not gone down well with onion growers, who say the timing could not have been worse. Jaideep Bhadane, Nashik district president of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association, pointed out a recurring pattern: authorities step in quickly to shield consumers when prices rise, but rarely act with the same urgency to support farmers when prices crash, and losses mount.Bhadane recalled that growers went through a particularly difficult stretch between March and July, when wholesale prices routinely fell below the cost of production, estimated at around Rs 2,000 per quintal.Story continues below this adHe said, “Farmers’ associations had asked for compensation of Rs 1,500 per quintal for those forced to sell below viable rates, but the demand went unanswered.” Now, he said, just as growers were finally beginning to see better returns, the release of buffer stock onions has triggered another price fall, undercutting the recovery.The price rise is also being felt in Pune’s restaurants. Ganesh Shetty, president of the Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers’ Association (PRAHA), said, “The hotel industry was already under pressure from the hike in LPG prices and rising costs of other essentials, and that expensive onions are now adding to the squeeze on profits.”He explained, “In most Indian kitchens, chopped or pureed onions form the foundation of the majority of gravies and curries, accounting for close to 80 per cent of a typical curry’s preparation. If onion prices remain high for another two to three months, hoteliers may be left with little choice but to raise menu prices.”Shubham Kurale is a journalist based in Pune and has studied journalism at the Ranade Institute. He primarily reports on transport and is interested in covering civic issues, sports, gig workers, environmental issues, and queer issues. X:@ShubhamKurale1 ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our storiesTags:pune