Garlic prices shoot up to Rs 400/kg, bring tears to consumers 

The prices of garlic, one of the daily ingredients of Indian kitchens, have shot up to Rs 400 a kg, making things difficult for consumers in Odisha.

As per reports, retail traders are now selling 100 gm of garlic at Rs 50. Such a sharp price spiral of garlic had never happened in the past. 

Its prices are soaring high because of dwindling supplies. Traders of Cuttack get a bulk supply of garlic from Indore and Uttar Pradesh. The prices of the spice have nearly doubled over the last few days in most parts of the state and the country. 

A housewife of Cuttack said, “Garlic is an essential ingredient for our kitchen. Its prices are varying from Rs 350 to Rs 400. How can we manage our home expenses at such high prices? We have to buy 100 gm of garlic when we are supposed to buy a kg.” 

A retail trader said, ” Earlier, we were buying garlic at Rs 260 a kg, but its prices have shot up to Rs 360 or even more. Accordingly, we have to sell it at a higher price.”  

Traders say the reason behind high prices is the dwindling supply of garlic across the country after the crops were damaged due to extreme weather conditions.

Debendra Sahu, secretary of the Chhatra Bazaar Traders' Association, said, ”The old stocks of garlic have exhausted. The arrival of new crops will take time at least 10 to 15 days. Since the supplies have dwindled, the prices are soaring. The price will come down only after fresh supplies arrive.”