Unexpected shortages of onions have plagued Kuwait since before the New Year, driving up the price of onions. Since onions are an essential element of many Asian expats’ meals, this circumstance has had a special impact on them in Kuwait. Significant exporters, such as India, have prohibited the export of onions because of unfavorable weather that has affected harvests in numerous Indian states.
Onions are a basic element for Asian expats, appearing in everything from simple meals to meat dishes like biryanis. Foreigners have been negatively impacted by the abrupt spike in onion costs, particularly lower-class families who mainly depend on onions for their daily meals.

The government is looking at other options for importing onions in response to this scarcity and is also thinking about providing subsidies to lessen the financial burden on customers. In order to stabilize the local market, initiatives are also in place to incentivize nearby farmers to plant onions.
According to Muthu Koya, the manager of a nearby supermarket, India stopped exporting onions because of subpar harvests, which left local customers without enough inventory. He mentioned that neighbouring countries are now supplying onions to India.

Indian expat Kutub Batliwala was not happy with the quality of onions on sale at a Salmiya supermarket. He mentioned that the onions were damp, moist, some rotting, and emitted an unpleasant stink, making them unfit for ingestion. He stressed that onions are essential for making even the most basic dishes, even if they cost a hefty 645 fils per kilogram.
A Filipino citizen named Roger revealed his approach of purchasing onions in tiny quantities in the hopes that the price would drop over the next few days. He emphasized the compromise by pointing out that he could purchase a frozen chicken for an additional 200 fils. Some locals are adjusting to the shortage of onions by looking into different ways to make meals that include little to no onions at all.

The ministry of commerce promised last week that food outlets would cooperate in order to keep the prices of necessities of food stable prior to the start of Ramadan. Customers are hopeful that throughout the holy month, the ministry will continue to guarantee affordability and price consistency.