Bhubaneswar: Within a span of two days, onion prices have touched Rs 140 per kilo mark in Cuttack's Chhatra Bazar, which is one of the largest wholesale and retail vegetable markets in Odisha. The price of onion is hovering between Rs 120 to Rs 140 per kg mark in different parts of the State.
Many believe that the prices of onion will touch Rs 200 per kg, if such trend continues for some more days in the State.
The steep rise in onion prices is mainly due to substantial drop in the arrival of the stock at Chhatra Bazar and Aiginia Mandi at Bhubaneswar following shortage in supply from Nashik in Maharashtra.
Speaking to OTV, Devendra Sahoo, secretary of Chhatra Bazar Traders' Association said, “Due to unseasonal rains, bulk of the last onion crops in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh were damaged. This led to the onion crisis in several mandis across Odisha."
“We can see a drop in onion prices after fresh crop starts arriving from January 10, 2020,” said Sahoo adding that “As the onion crop in Odisha will be harvested in April and May, the State will have to depend on Nashik for onion supply till then.”
Not only in the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, consumers across the State are facing problems due to steep hike in onion prices.
As per reports, onion is being sold at Rs 130 per kg in Balasore, Rs 110 in Berhampur and Rs 120 in Rourkela.
“With such a high price, it’s very difficult to buy onions for middle class families," said a consumer from Jeypore.