It's not just onions that sting these days. A survey of local markets in the Capital on Wednesday showed that almost everything the neighbourhood greengrocer sells - except potatoes - has started pinching the pocket of the middle class Delhiite. Retail prices of vegetables, such as beans, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and carrot, have shot up by 25 to 60% compared to prices around this time last year. Although onion prices...

The Centre today sought to justify the export ban on onion by saying that the wholesale price of onion in Nashik, the country’s largest wholesale hub for the bulb crop, had declined by 33 per cent to Rs 2,500 per 100kg or Rs 25 a kg. The impact will not be felt immediately on kitchen budgets as it will take some time – “two to three weeks”, according to Sharad Pawar...

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...

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...

Scores of farmers took part in a 'Kisan Swaraj Yatra', a rally, which began from Sabarmati in Gujarat and culminated at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat here on Saturday, to draw the attention of the government towards the issues concerning the farmers and the continuing agrarian crisis in India.The farmers and representatives of the 'Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA)' later met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and briefed her about...