A vendor sells onions near Lalpur market in Ranchi on Friday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Dec. 24: Forget chopping onions, even shelling green peas is a tearful affair.

The price sting of onions is continuing to torment Ranchi buyers even after the ministry of agriculture has lifted its entire five per cent import duty on the bulb and put an indefinite ban on its export, while the capital is selling green peas at Rs 35 a kg, Rs 15 above normal.

While retail chains like Reliance are selling onions starting from Rs 50 a kg, their country cousins, roadside sellers and vegetable marts are keeping a price tag of Rs 45 to Rs 50.

Hardly a difference.

Vendors say that the poor quality of Nashik onions and the high price of their Allahabad counterparts have kept prices up.

“For us, the cost price of onions per kg is between Rs 40-42. Add transport costs and it is no surprise why onions are so costly,” said Kutchery Market Association president Dhananjay Kumar Sharma. He added that a 40kg bag of onions cost a wholesale rate of Rs 1,600.

Onions sold at Rs 55 to Rs 60 before the Centre lifted import duty.

According to Daily Market retail vendor Dinesh Kumar, even mandis like Pandara are selling onions at Rs 25 per kg. “But their quality is so bad that they don’t last beyond a day. They are the rotten Nashik onions. We also get onions at lesser rates, Rs 1200-1300 per bag, but by the time they reach the market, around 10 per cent rot,” he said.

Nashik is Asia’s largest producer of onions. But uncontrolled export to Pakistan following its floods coupled with untimely rains in Maharashtra resulted in the onion crisis. And Jharkhand is not self-sufficient in onions. Though farmers in Chatra, Palamau and Ormanjhi cultivate the bulb, it is more of a cottage industry.

“Floods in Pakistan and Maharashtra took a toll on India’s onion stock. The widened demand-supply gap jacked up prices,” said Birsa Agriculture University director (research) B.N. Singh.

While the onion story is making headlines across India, the price of green peas in Ranchi has set tongues wagging. Though this seasonal vegetable is grown in nearby Bedo, Mandar, Narkopi and Brambay, it is selling at Rs 35 and above per kg and a wholesale price of Rs 25. Vendors say prices will remain in that legion till January.

Vendor Dinesh said pea crops were affected “with fungus” due to the sudden mercury dip. While the Birsa Agriculture University director conceded the impact of cold, he also blamed small acreage and irrigation lacunae. “In our state, peas are grown only on 20,000 hectares, due to lack of mass-scale irrigation facilities,” he said.