PHNOM PENH, Nov 1 — Malaysian consumers could pay more for Indian onions ahead of the Deepavali festival as production in Maharashtra, India’s biggest producing state, falls nearly 40 per cent due to weak rainfall.

Irregular rainfall and prolonged dry spells this monsoon have delayed the arrival of fresh kharif onions, the monsoon-season crop, adding price pressure to local Indian markets.

“There could be about a 30 to 40 per cent production drop in Maharashtra because of drought. Farmers across India are facing a shortage of rain due to El Niño and this is impacting onion production because of poor moisture. Prices could gradually increase,” Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee Chairman Dnyaneshwar Kisan Jagtap told Bernama on Saturday.