Bhubaneswar: The price of onion in Odisha has gone up alarmingly from Rs 35 to Rs 50 per kg within a week. The state government has said that the situation will continue till November.
Breifing media here on Sunday, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said onion farmers have been badly affected due to incessant heavy rain in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
“Due to heavy rain and flood in Nasik, Maharashtra, the price of onion has gone up to Rs 1500 per quintal. Besides, the farmers of Andhra Pradesh are reluctant to export onion to Odisha due to the strict implementation of the Motor Vehicles Act. Considering the prevailing circumstances, the situation will continue till November,” the minister added.
However, he said that the government has taken steps to regulate onion prices in the state.
On the other hand, the traders’ associations in the state have blamed the state government for its failure in regulating the market price of the onion leading to an unprecedented hike in the price.