New Delhi : With onion prices hitting the roof again, the Centre on Tuesday directed state governments to crackdown on hoarders of the bulb which has famously brought down the Delhi government in the 1990s.

The latest hike in prices of the key ingredient in many a cuisine is also being attributed to heavy rain in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu from where supplies were expected to begin by now.

In markets across the country, onion was retailing anywhere between Rs 65 and Rs 80 per kg as supplies from Rajasthan and Maharashtra have reduced significantly.

Food Minister K V Thomas said that onion prices would ease within the next fortnight when supplies from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu start reaching wholesale markets.

He also said the Centre has asked state governments to take stringent action against hoarders. Market watchers said onion prices are usually high in July-September as supplies are down to a trickle as the crop is not taken during the monsoon season. Prices should  stabilise around mid-September when fresh supplies begin.

Last month, the Centre had re-imposed the minimum export price on onions and fixed it at $650 to discourage exports.

The government had also asked Nafed to import onions from countries such as Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and China but no shipment has arrived so far.