Bhubaneswar: Woes of consumers mounted further Saturday as onion price touched Rs 90 per kg at various retail markets of Odisha including Bhubaneswar.
The price of the tuber has jumped by Rs 20 in past few days. “We will have to use half of an onion while cooking after the spike in the tuber price,” said Manaswini Panda, a housewife.
Some consumers were seen purchasing four to five kg onions at a time apprehending further price spurt in coming days.
Sources in the traders said onion price hike and supply shortage in Nashik of Maharashtra, Kurnool and Gudum of Andhra Pradesh from where the commodity is imported has affected the rates in Odisha.
“In Bhubaneswar market, the wholesale price is Rs 65 to 70 per kg. In retail market, traders are selling it little high price because the onions cannot stay for many days as it has been hit by rains,” said All Odisha Traders Association general secretary Sudhakar Panda.
The onion price will remain high for the next few days till the newly harvested onions did not reach Odisha market, he said.
Besides, he said, the consumption amount has also come down in the state due to price hike. Usually, state needs 400 quintals of onion every day. But now, 100 quintals are also not being sold, Panda added.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said the government is keeping a close eye on the market and selling onions in all fair price shops at no-profit no-loss basis.
