Panaji: With onion prices in the open market rising to Rs 75 per kg, govt-run horticulture outlets are continuing to sell the vegetable at a subsidised Rs 58 per kg, offering consumers relief amid a seasonal supply squeeze.Agriculture director and Goa State Horticulture Corporation Limited (GSHCL) managing director Chandrahas Desai described the price spike as a “routine annual occurrence” linked to the transition between harvests in neighbouring states.“Rain damage and high moisture levels during the monsoon season frequently spoil portions of the first harvest, creating a brief supply gap before the second harvest arrives in bulk. While fresh arrivals have begun entering supply chains, quantities remain limited and will take 15-20 days to reach full-capacity distribution,” Desai told TOI.GSHCL officials said consumers need not pay the higher open-market prices while subsidised stock remains available through the corporation’s network of outlets.“We are actively monitoring retail trends and are prepared to trigger further intervention if market pressure escalates. If prices at state-run outlets threaten to reach or cross the threshold of Rs 70 per kg, the corporation will initiate direct bulk procurements from major onion-producing hubs, like Nashik in Maharashtra,” Desai said.The corporation’s intervention comes after its seasonal coconut distribution drive for Ganesh Chaturthi. With festival demand briefly pushing coconut prices to Rs 70 per nut in open markets, GSHCL procured 70,000 nuts from local farmers and Maharashtra and sold them at Rs 38 each through its outlets.Most of the festival stock has since been distributed, with fewer than 1,000 coconuts remaining across local outlets and continuing to be sold at the regulated price.
