BY SITI NURAIN RATANI
KUCHING: The price of red onions from India has gone up due to supply shortage.
Many retailers, who have limited stock, had no choice but to up the price. When met, a grocery store owner, Sanuyah Narawi, said she had to increase the price as she also bought them at a high price from her supplier.
“Indeed, many customers complained to me about the price increase but I can’t do anything as the supplier sold the red onions at a relatively high price,” explained the 74-year-old.
Meanwhile, another grocery store owner, Sanah Lanjo, 64, said her shop had been out of red onions for the past week.
“The supply that I received from the supplier was very small. Therefore, I had to raise the price.
“Although the price is quite high, the red onions in my shop ran out very quickly. This may be because the villagers have no other choice but the red onions during this monsoon season.
“Undoubtedly, many customers prefer Indian red onions more than the other varieties. However, there are a few customers who suggested that I sell red onions from China, Pakistan or the Netherlands.
“Their prices are unchanged and less expensive compared to the price of red onions imported from India,” she pointed out.
Sanah added that if the price of Indian red onions was still high in future, she would probably only take in red onions from the Netherlands.
A survey on supermarkets around the city found that red onions from India are still sold at RM16.99 per kg while Bombay red onions are RM3.50 per kg.
