Family budgets go haywire as prices of essential kitchen items continue to show a rising trend

Despite high dramas and several measures taken by the State government over the last few months, the skyrocketing prices of essential kitchen items still continue to destabilize the household budgets in the State.

Supply of potatoes from neighbouring West Bengal has been restored and enough amount of the tuber has been stored in Odisha market. However, the price of the essential kitchen item is still high in the retail market which is pinching consumers' pockets. 
 

According to Food Suppliers Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, potatoes are available at Rs 15-20 per kg and onions are being provided through NAFED at Rs 35 per kg in Odisha market. However, the real picture is quite different. Customers are currently buying potatoes at Rs 30-35 per kg and onions are being sold at Rs 55 per kg across the State.

“We are buying potatoes at Rs 35 per kg and onions at Rs 55 per kg. The high prices of the essential kitchen items have severely affected our budget. It is becoming difficult to live because of the high inflationary market,” said Satyabrata Mohanty, a customer in Balasore.

“The price rise of essential food items is pinching our pockets. We are finding it difficult to have an equilibrium in our budget,” said Satyabrata Mohanty, a customer in Balasore.

“The flood in Gujarat is the main reason behind the price rise of onions,” said Chhatra Bazar Traders’ Union President Debendra Nath Sahoo.

Apart from potato and onion, garlic is now available at an exorbitant price of Rs 360 - Rs 380 per kg and ginger is being sold at Rs 240 - Rs 250 per kg. While wholesalers are blaming retailers for the price rise, the retailers have ascribed it to transportation costs. 

“Government should control the retailers who are responsible for the price rise of essential food items,” said Sudhakar Panda, General Secretary of Odisha Traders’ Association.

“The prices of the essential kitchen items have increased due to an increase in the transport cost,” said Sudheer Sen, a trader in Bhubaneswar.

Moreover, the price of edible oil has also skyrocketed compounding problems for the consumers in the State. While the price of refined oil has increased from Rs 110 to Rs 120 per litre in just a day, the price of mustard oil has jumped from Rs 135 to Rs 155 per litre.

According to Food Suppliers Minister Patra, rates of essential kitchen items have become high due to heavy rain and floods in the States on which the state is dependent for those products.

“Productions have been hampered in other states due to heavy rain and flood situations and as a result, the prices of essential items have jumped. We are trying to make our State self-reliant in the next one or two years,” said Patra.