Bhubaneswar: Onion prices have increased sharply across Odisha and the vegetable is selling for around Rs 70 per kg in several markets amid reduced supplies.
According to reports received from districts, markets in Baleshwar, Brahmapur, Balangir and Kataka have witnessed a sharp rise in onion prices, with traders attributing the increase to dwindling supplies in the markets.
In Kataka’s Chhatra Bazar, traders said five to six trucks carrying onions would earlier arrive daily. The market is now reportedly getting only one or two trucks occasionally.
Traders said Odisha depends heavily on supplies from other states because onion cultivation within the state remains limited. Onion production is confined to some pockets of western Odisha and Anugola.
Traders said onions supplied to Odisha largely come from Nashik in Maharashtra, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Any disruption or reduction in arrivals from these markets can quickly affect prices in Odisha.
Vegetable vendors said customers have been complaining about the rising prices. Retailers, however, are also facing uncertainty because wholesale rates have remained volatile.
Traders have linked the latest price rise partly to reduced onion availability from Maharashtra, where weather conditions have reportedly affected cultivation and supplies. The lower inflow has added to concerns over the availability of onions in Odisha markets and price surge.
Onion prices are expected to ease after mid-September, provided supplies improve, said experts.