Shallot price drop alarms growers in Indian wholesale market

For the second year in a row it is a bad period for shallot growers in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu (India). Last year was the unusual rainfall that threw a spanner in the works, this time the large supply has pushed the price almost to the bottom. One grower said: "Just before the harvest, the rain soaked the field and it was not possible to drain the water. As a result, the harvest was ultimately brought in at a loss." In addition to buyers from Kerala and other parts of Tamil Nadu, the shallots from the wholesale market in Dindigul were exported directly to countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia by some trade exporters. M. Marimuthu, deputy secretary of the association, said that about 250 tons (i.e. 5,000 bags) were brought in in one day, causing the price to fall. At the beginning of February, the shallots ...