Of onions and potatoes

The need for Nepal to become self-sufficient in vegetables cannot be overemphasised.

As the monsoon begins to give way to the festival season, the price of onion, rather than the chemical irritant named syn - propanethial - S - oxide, has brought tears to the eyes of the public once again. From Rs35 a kilo two weeks ago to Rs120 a kilo as of Thursday, it is too exponential a hike in a short period that makes even well-off families to make a hue and cry. Added to that is the skyrocketing of the price of potato, from Rs60 a kilo to over Rs100 a kilo in two weeks. If not missing altogether, the two essential vegetable items are arguably entering Nepali kitchens in a much lesser quantity, thanks to our over-dependence on vegetable imports and the government's inability to keep a watch on the market.