Skyrocketing Vegetable Prices Continue To Hit Consumers Hard Across Odisha; Traders Demand Cold Storages

Bhubaneswar: Consumers are hit hard due to skyrocketing prices of almost all vegetables across Odisha in the last fortnight. The soaring prices of vegetables have thrown the family budget of common people haywire.

As the prices of vegetables touch the roof, consumers are at a loss, unable to decide what to buy and how much. Apart from state capital Bhubaneswar, prices are high in all parts of the state. Visit to any market will show that vegetables literally on fire.

Vegetables including lady finger, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, cauliflower and brinjal are selling above Rs 80 a kilogram in most markets in the state. The situation is similar in Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Koraput and Balangir.

In Tinimuhani market of Kenrapada, tomato is selling at Rs 140 to Rs 160 per kg. Similarly, ginger price is around Rs 300 a kg, while green chilly is selling at more than Rs 200 per kg, said a trader.

“The prices of all the vegetables have skyrocketed. Tomato is selling at Rs 140 to Rs 160 a kg. We are forced to purchase 250 grams in place of 1 kg,” said a consumer.

In Balangir, cauliflower is selling at over Rs 80 and no vegetable is available for less than Rs 60 a kg, rued a consumer, seeking immediate steps by the government to work out a mechanism to control vegetable prices and build cold storages across the state.

Expressing similar views, a resident of Bhubaneswar said common people are hit hard as almost all vegetables are now out of their reach due to high prices.

Vegetable sellers maintain that they are forced to sell at a high price as they are paying more to procure them in the first place.

On the other hand, farmers alleged that the traders are procuring vegetables from them at a cheaper price and selling them at a higher price in markets.

Odisha mostly depends on imports from states like Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Karnataka for vegetables. There has been a scant supply of vegetables from these states in the recent past, said another seller.

Stating that lack of infrastructure for storage and poor supply chain management are also the reasons for the sudden spike in vegetable prices, the sellers want the government to build cold storages in all panchayats.

The traders as well as consumers are hopeful that the situation will improve soon with new production hitting the market.