Onion Prices May Drop By Dec End: Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Minister of Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department, Ranendra Pratap Swain on Monday assured consumers that the onion prices may start to come down from the end of December 2019 or the beginning of the New Year.

Addressing media after a high level meeting in the Lok Seva Bhawan, Swain said, “The reason behind price hike of onions is related to supply. Only one truckload of onion is coming into Odisha market as against the usual demand for at least 50 truckloads of supply.”

“The harvesting process of onions is scheduled to begin soon. So we can expect a boost in onion supply at the end of this month which will end onion crisis,” added Swain.

According to sources, fresh onion stocks from Nasik have started to arrive at Cuttack’s Chhatra Bazar, the largest wholesale and retail vegetable market in the State. However, the price of onions still continues to hover between Rs 120 to 140 at most markets across the State.

Experts and traders are optimistic that the there may not be further rise in the present rates of the most-sought-after vegetable.

The marginal drop in the onion prices has come as a big relief for people as the kitchen essential had touched a whopping Rs 180 per kg in several parts of Odisha last week, making it out of reach of the common man.