Onion prices have had an unprecedented increase in northern Afghan provinces, especially in Kunduz and Takhar, over a lack of products and a rise in demand for it.
Kunduz residents said the increase in onion prices is a significant reduction in its products.
They said that the price for a bag of seven kilograms of onion was 40 Afs ($0.45) last year while it has increased to 170 Afs ($1.90) this year.
Ainuddin, a Kunduz resident, asked farmers to sell their products at a reasonable price because “people cannot afford to buy it due to the economic challenges they’re faced with.”
“The reason for the increase is lack of onion in the local markets and there has been a 50% reduction compared to the last year,” said Idris, an onion seller in Kunduz.
He said that the lack of cold storage facilities has affected the prices as farmers and shop owners cannot keep onion for a long time and it is wasted.
Meanwhile, Abdul Ghafar Seddiqi, the acting head of the agriculture directorate in Kunduz, said the prices are high due to an increase in demand for the product.
However, he added that his office has distributed fertilized seeds for farmers to increase their products.
This comes as last week, Takhar residents said that onion prices have soared in the province from 30 Afs ($0.35) for a bag of seven kilograms to 200 Afs ($2.2) for the same amount this year.
