Onion prices drop; MVR 20 per kilo

Onion prices in Male’ market have dropped after a hike in prices arising from a shortage of stock.

On Tuesday, prices of onions in Male’ market skyrocketed due to a shortage caused by delays in the clearance of goods by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) as clearance was suspended during the Independence Day holidays.

As of Wednesday, the price per kilo of onions stood at MVR 35, with a sack costing between MVR 450 and MVR 500.

A seller who spoke with Sun on Thursday reported a drop in the prices of onion. In this regard, a kilo of onions is presently priced between MVR 20 and MVR 25 while an onion sack is priced at below MVR 400.

Nevertheless, this is still not the normal price of onions which is usually sold for MVR 11 per kilo.

The drop in prices of onions have also been reflect in shops, with a kilo presently priced at MVR 20.

Additional stocks would further drop the prices.

Onions are a staple in Maldivian cuisine.

State Trading Organization (STO) has previously stated that it would import a supply of onions from India to alleviate the shortage.

The state-owned company often imports special stocks of essential food items during shortages or to control prices during Ramadan.