The price of onion has jumped from Rs. 53 to Rs. 70 in the last 10 days in the city. Homemakers are finding it hard to add onion, a staple ingredient in Tamil Nadu, ever present in almost all dishes, to their vegetable bag.

Onions come to the city from Maharashtra and Tenkasi district, apart from towns like Pavurcharithram and Surandai. Due to heavy flooding in the northern states about 50 days ago, the price of onion has shot up.

“We have made arrangements for onion to reach our market from Hubli in Karnataka. Farmers there have harvested the vegetable 20 days ahead of schedule,” said S. Bashzeer, President, MGR Wholesale Market Association.

Because of this emergency step, the price of onion has been contained in the city. “Otherwise it would have touched Rs. 100 like the way it has done in North India,” said Bashzeer.

Onion is cultivated in 18,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu. The Government has also taken steps to import onion to meet the demand in northern states from countries like Egypt. The scarcity may continue till September when the Kharif crop arrives in the markets.

Homemakers said they have started using onion in smaller quantities. “I have started reducing the consumption of onion,” said Meera, a Ph.D. scholar and homemaker.

Prices are likely to increase in the next two-three days because of Onam, Rakshabandhan and Avani Avittam. Also, this being a marriage season affects the consumption patterns.