With the Union government refusing to play Santa Claus and regulate market forces, the merciless rise in onion prices threatens to mar Christmas, New Year and Makar Sankrantri festivities. With several markets reporting a further rise in prices to about Rs.85 a kg, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened, by directing the Ministries of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs to take steps to bring its prices to affordable levels. According to sources, the Prime...

The government has said prices of onions are likely to remain high for the next three weeks, but the situation will improve thereafter in the wake of its move to ban exports of the commodity. "Onion prices will remain high for the next three weeks and the situation is likely to improve only after two to three weeks. The ban on onion exports should help reduce prices," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar...

India's government has banned the export of onions after the vegetable doubled in price in the past week. The rise has been blamed on unusually heavy rains in growing areas, as well as on hoarders and speculators. Prices have jumped to 70 rupees ($1.55; £0.99) per kg from 35 rupees last week. The ban is until 15 January and India is importing onions to ease shortages. Onions are a basic ingredient in many...

Potato prices have turned volatile across India due to a mismatch in demand and supply. While prices have come down in northern and western India, prices still remain firm in the eastern part due to crop delays . Farmers in Punjab are getting 250-300 per quintal for the Pukhraj and Jyoti potato varieties. In the Jalandhar mandi, prices for a 50-kg packet were ruling at 130-160 on Tuesday while in the...

The Prime Minister’s Office has given direct orders to top officials of Sharad Pawar’s department to get cracking after the food minister said it would take “two to three weeks” for onion prices to stabilise. Sources said an annoyed Manmohan Singh has conveyed to Pawar that the time frame set by the minister is too long, especially since prices have skyrocketed within a week. Expressing deep concern over the “extraordinary price rise...