The prices of onions and vegetables, which have already sent the budgets of many homes in the national capital haywire, are expected to go up sky high, vegetable vendors said here.

 

 

 The price of onions in the wholesale market Tuesday was Rs.50 per kg, but in retail stores it ranged between Rs.60 to Rs.80 per kg.

 

 "There has been poor harvest of onions this year due to rainfall shortage in Maharashtra. Prices of onions will continue to rise. There is inadequate stock to meet demands," Ram Dhan, a vegetable wholesaler in Azadpur Sabzi Mandi, told IANS.

 

 Hoarding by traders is also being blamed for the rise in prices.

 

 "There has been no hoarding by us. We are just creating stocks so that we can meet the demand and supply. If we do not create stock right now, there will be months when the onion supply would be nil," said Mahendra Khuranna, owner of Jagriti Agro, a fruit and vegetable wholeseller in Sabzi Mandi.

 

 Women who manage households have been facing the greatest pinch as their budget has been greatly hit.

 

 "I used to buy three kg of onion for a week, but now I have cut down to one kg because the price has almost tripled," said Arati Negi, a 32-year-old homemaker.

 

 "The overall price of vegetables has increased. Earlier, one could buy four to five different vegetables for a household of two people for Rs. 150. But now, with onions selling at Rs.60-80, the budget has doubled. Onions will make people cry for real and it may actually turn out to be a poll issue," said Pallavi Majumdar, professor at Amity University.

 

 "I bought onions in bulk last week only for Rs.40. Though at that time I felt I should not have bought so much, now it is a blessing in disguise," said Namrata Kapoor, who lives in a joint family.

 

IANS