Now Reading: Shallot prices hit ₹170 a kg in Tiruchi on supply crunch
-
01
Shallot prices hit ₹170 a kg in Tiruchi on supply crunch
The Story in Brief
Shallot prices in Tiruchi have surged to unprecedented levels, with retail rates touching ₹170 a kg on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. High-grade shallot sold at ₹160 a kg in Gandhi Market, while medium and low grades were priced at ₹150 and ₹140 a kg respectively. A 50-kg bag of good quality shallot fetched ₹7,000 in the wholesale market, up from ₹2,000 in early September.
Supply has dropped sharply: the wholesale market normally receives about 100 tonnes daily but now gets less than 50 tonnes. The shortage is blamed on northeast monsoon rains that hit the harvest in Perambalur, a key supply centre. Traders are now sourcing from Alanthurai, where farmers had stocked shallot harvested three to four months ago.
Wholesale trader P. Sudhakar of Sri Kalaivani Traders said the rain has paused, which may allow farmers to harvest in dry conditions. Prices could ease slightly in a week, but he expects rates to remain high during the Deepavali season due to rising demand.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The price spike directly hits household budgets in Tiruchi, where shallot is a daily cooking staple. Supply from Perambalur has collapsed at the peak harvest window because of early monsoon rains, forcing the market to rely on old stock from Alanthurai. Traders expect only a modest price dip in the next week, and demand during Deepavali will keep prices elevated through mid-November. No government intervention has been reported, leaving consumers to absorb the surge.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
