Bhubaneswar: Unseasonal rains and hailstorms in Nashik in Maharshtra, the key onion producing city in the country, have led to sudden rise in the prices of the tuber vegetable in Odisha.
The vegetable is currently being sold at Rs 52-54 a kg in Bhubaneswar while the price stands at Rs 52-53 in Chhatra Bazar, Cuttack. Similarly, the price has jumped to Rs 45 and Rs 50 in Berhampur and Khordha respectively. Consumers have to purchase the kitchen staple at Rs 50-53 in retail market in Balasore.
The traders in Odisha have attributed the price rise to decreasing supply chain due to rains in the producing State.
The vegetable which was sold Rs 2500-2800 per quintal is now being sold at Rs 4500 in Nashik. The Nasalgaon godown- Nashik which usually receive 30,000 quintal onion has witnessed 18,000 quintal of onion today. The supply has drastically come down due to the rain and hailstorm that caused large scale destruction of onion stored in thatched houses of farmers.
"It was raining for last two days, which hit the farmers hard. Onions which were stored in the thatched houses got rotten as the roofs were blown away. The tuber usually gets damaged within two days as it absorbs water," said a Nashik-based farmer.