Government Intervenes to Control Soaring Onion Prices in Odisha |
Bhubaneswar: After consumers expressed concern over soaring prices of onion and garlic, food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Wednesday said the state govt has asked the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) of India to provide onion at a subsidised price.
“Since Odisha depends on other states for onion and we don’t produce enough to meet our requirements, the price rise in source states affects us. The wholesale price of onion at Nashik is high and selling above Rs 45 per kg, leading to a rise in the price at the retail level. The price rise of onion was witnessed across the country. The govt has already asked NAFED to provide onion at Rs 30 per kg,” Patra added.
According to sources, the price of onion skyrocketed in the last few weeks by 70-80% and is selling at Rs 75 per kg in retail markets, adding a burden to household budgets. Due to the high price of onion, customers have changed their eating preferences and are buying less onion, affecting sales, vendors said.
“The price of onion continued to remain high for the last several weeks and was selling at Rs 60 per kg, but now the sudden rise of Rs 15 to 20 has not only affected the consumers but also the vendors as people have reduced consumption significantly in the month of Kartik,” Sushant Samantray, a vegetable vendor, said.
The state depends on Nashik in Maharashtra and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh to meet its requirement of onions. Heavy unseasonal rain and delay in the harvest of the new crop caused a shortage of the kitchen essential.
“The situation will improve once the fresh crops hit the markets in the next few days,” general secretary of Odisha Byabasayee Sangha, Sudhakar Panda, said.
The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution on Tuesday said that the govt is keeping a close watch on the market and will take steps to stabilise the prices.
“Since Odisha depends on other states for onion and we don’t produce enough to meet our requirements, the price rise in source states affects us. The wholesale price of onion at Nashik is high and selling above Rs 45 per kg, leading to a rise in the price at the retail level. The price rise of onion was witnessed across the country. The govt has already asked NAFED to provide onion at Rs 30 per kg,” Patra added.
According to sources, the price of onion skyrocketed in the last few weeks by 70-80% and is selling at Rs 75 per kg in retail markets, adding a burden to household budgets. Due to the high price of onion, customers have changed their eating preferences and are buying less onion, affecting sales, vendors said.
“The price of onion continued to remain high for the last several weeks and was selling at Rs 60 per kg, but now the sudden rise of Rs 15 to 20 has not only affected the consumers but also the vendors as people have reduced consumption significantly in the month of Kartik,” Sushant Samantray, a vegetable vendor, said.
The state depends on Nashik in Maharashtra and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh to meet its requirement of onions. Heavy unseasonal rain and delay in the harvest of the new crop caused a shortage of the kitchen essential.
“The situation will improve once the fresh crops hit the markets in the next few days,” general secretary of Odisha Byabasayee Sangha, Sudhakar Panda, said.
The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution on Tuesday said that the govt is keeping a close watch on the market and will take steps to stabilise the prices.
