KUALA LUMPUR: The Indian onion may be smaller in size than other vegetables but many people especially in the northern states of the country shed tears last year when a shortage in Indian onion supply caused the price to skyrocket.

According to local media reports, the price of Indian onion steeply jumped from only RM4.90 to RM24 per kilogramme, causing an uproar among cooks in Penang and other northern states.