Cuttack: Good news for Odisha consumers. The prices of potato and onion in the sate will come down very soon, the Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangh has said.
At present, the retail price of potato in the state is Rs 45-50 per kg, while onion is being sold at Rs 60-65 per kg.
Explaining the recent spike in prices, Mahasangh president Sudhakar Panda said, “The production of onion in Maharashtra and potato in West Bengal was hit hard due to unprecedented rain this year. As a result, there is a short supply of these two essential commodities from these two states to Odisha, forcing the wholesalers to sell them at a higher rate.”
Panda, however, added that the situation is likely to improve very soon as the harvesting in these two states will begin in the next two weeks. Once the export of these two items starts, the price will come down drastically, he said.
He also blamed the frequent rise in the prices of potato and onion on Odisha’s over-dependence on other states and the lack of adequate cold storage.
Panda also claimed that improper implementation of the state government’s policy at the grassroots level is another reason for rise in prices.