Bhubaneswar: Food Suppliers Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Wednesday attributed skyrocketing onion prices in Odisha to Rs 45/kg rate of the bulb in Nashik.
“The crop is not produced in Odisha and hence, we are dependent on other states. Prices of onion and garlic are high outside the state and this has contributed to the price rise here. We have asked NAFED to sell onion at Rs 30 per kg in Odisha,” he told reporters.
Odisha meets its onion requirement from Nashik in Maharashtra and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. The kharif crop in both regions suffered extensive damaged in the rains during September. While price of Nashik onions (good quality old onions) has soared to Rs 70/kg, those from Kurnool (new but medium quality onions) are a bit cheaper at Rs 40-Rs 55, depending on the quality, owing to shortage of stock in wholesale markets.
Similarly, price of garlic has skyrocketed to Rs 400 per kg in retail market in the state.
The sale has further slumped due to the rise in prices of these commodities during the five-day Panchuka of Holy Kartika month when their consumption is comparatively less.
General Secretary of Odisha Byabsayee Mahasangha Sudhakar Panda said that the prices may come down in next 4-6 days with supply of new onion improving in the market.
On Tuesday, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said: “The government is alive to the market developments and keeping close watch to take ameliorative action to stabilise the onion prices.”
According to traders in Nashik, the largest onion-producing district of India, the current situation is entirely temporary. They attributed the price rise to supply-demand mismatch with old stock from last year’s rabi season, harvested in March 2024, almost over and the new stock yet to hit the markets.