An expected supply crunch could help farmers, but hurt retail buyers in the second quarter of this fiscal

In February this year, a Japanese discount store announced it would be accepting sibuyas (onions) as payment in a few of its stores on select dates.

Understandably, onion had attained currency status as its prices had skyrocketed due to supply crunch.

Long story short, onion has had a long history of price fluctuations caused by demand and supply across the globe.

Data for the past decade shows how onion prices have been volatile in India as well, largely owing to climatic conditions that have played now-an-ally, now-a-foe to the crop.