Report By Shabeeh Ul Hassan Date: 06 Aug 2013 Al Awir Market Dubai United Arab Emirates Tears disappear as Pakistan onions appear The retail prices of onion, a major component of most main course recipes, have at long last come down, and UAE consumers are heaving a sigh of relief. A survey conducted recently at the Al Awir Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Market in Dubai, revealed that prices of onion have come down by half from prices that reigned two months ago when soaring onion prices were unbearable for many. The onion crisis emerged some two months ago when India, a major onion exporting nation, banned exports due to shortage at home. Drastic results were felt in the UAE markets as local traders used to import a huge quantity of their onion requirements from India on a daily basis. Fortunately, the good crop in Pakistan served to offset the Indian ban and daily, hundreds of tonnes of onions arrived by sea to cater to the local demand. Talking to The Gulf Today, many traders pointed that the Indian onion export ban had earlier resulted in massive increase in the retail prices but with the daily shipments from Pakistan, the price situation improved. Ashraf, one such Al Awir Market trader who has been around for the last many years, said that the recent surge in retail prices of onion not only impacted the consumers but affected traders as well. “We have been importing fresh onion produce from India, Pakistan, Iran, Oman and other countries on a daily basis to cater to the demands of UAE consumers as well those from other Middle East countries via Dubai which served as an onion trade hub,” he said. He said that while the ban on Indian onion exports still exists, continued supplies from Pakistan have brought the prices down. “Some two months ago, prices of two categories of onion, which had reached Dhs4.5 and Dhs4 per kg, reduced by almost half to Dhs2.5 and Dhs1.80 respectively,” he added. Ramzan, another trader said that the Sindh province of Pakistan is a major onion, vegetable and fruit producer and huge quantities of fresh farm produce arrives in the UAE from that part of Pakistan. “Hitherto, the local markets were dominated by Indian farm products but the recent ban on onion exports have opened a new chapter for Pakistani produce, which not only caters to the local demand but also reaches markets in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and others,” he said. Raju, another trader in the market, pointed that he had been selling the Egyptian variety of onions as the majority among the Egyptian community residing in the UAE prefer their own variety. “The supply is good and the demand normal and we have not been affected by the recent crisis, with prices ruling at a steady Dhs2 per kg for the past many months,” he said. It is also pointed out that the retail prices at the groceries and supermarkets have also come down during the last 2-3 weeks, as supplies have been restored to cater to the local demand. Shabeeh Ul Hassan Head Of Sales & Purchasing Department Scandinavian Star Group Dubai United Arab Emirates
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 09:23:20 +0000
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