"The Pakistani side gave us information that the onion produce cannot be bartered. This is mainly due to increase in the prices in their own domestic market", said Bashir Ahmad, leading cross LoC trader in Uri.

Onion

At a time when onion prices have been bringing tears in the eyes of people in India, Pakistan has stopped sending onions into J-K through the cross LoC bartering trade points in the state.



The cross LoC trade happens at two points, Poonch and Uri. The traders have been informed by the Pakistani side that due to steady rise in domestic prices in the face of massive demand from India, the other side cant supply the product for sometime.



"The Pakistani side gave us information that the onion produce cannot be bartered. This is mainly due to increase in the prices in their own domestic market", said Bashir Ahmad, leading cross LoC trader in Uri.



According to the traders they had been places orders for onions in bulk due to the soaring price hike in India. "We had placed orders for onions from our partners in PoK but the massive demand made onion prices in Pakistan jump from Rs 22 per kilo to Rs 38 in three days," said Bashir Ahmad.



Around 100 trucks in two days were imported which must be around 1,000 tonnes of onion costing Rs 3 crore. Ban on the import of onions has shocked the traders community.



Although the quantity of the import could not have sufficed the need of local markets in Kashmir however coming at a rate of around Rs 30 it certainly would have easened the burden on the common man's pocket.



