In December 2010, newspapers ran out of print reporting on what was dubbed as ‘The Great Indian Onion Robbery’. They highlighted speculative traders cornering the onion markets, with wholesale traders in Delhi purchasing the vegetable at Rs 34 a kg, while it was retailed at Rs 80 a kg, a mark-up of 135%. Typically, 45% of India’s onions come from Maharashtra and Karnataka. However, that year, November had seen excessive rainfall in and around
