Bhubaneswar: Onion prices have started rising again in Odisha. In Bhubaneswar, the retail price of onions has reached Rs 60. In some shops, onions are being sold for as much as Rs 70 per kg.
At the Kuberapuri wholesale market here, onions that were earlier selling for Rs 20-22 per kg are now being sold at Rs 38-42 per kg. Traders and consumers have raised concerns over the wide gap between wholesale and retail prices. Based on the current wholesale rates, the retail price should ideally not cross Rs 50 per kg. However, onions are being sold at Rs 60-70 per kg at several retail outlets, resulting in a price difference of nearly Rs 28 per kg in some places.
Consumers have urged the government and the administration to take immediate steps to check the rising retail prices and protect them from excessive pricing.
Kuberapuri Traders’ Association Secretary Shaktishankar Mishra said onion prices could come down if supplies from Bengaluru increase. However, he said onions in Bengaluru have reportedly been damaged this time, reducing the possibility of fresh supplies reaching Odisha. “If Bengaluru onions do not arrive, consumers may continue to face high prices until December,” Mishra said.
The price rise is not limited to Bhubaneswar or Odisha. Onion prices have increased in several parts of the country as well.
The Centre has been releasing onions from its buffer stock and selling them at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF). Around 4,000 tonnes of onions have so far been sold at subsidised prices in 17 cities.
The government has also transported onions to cities such as Delhi and Chennai through the ‘Kanda Express’. However, more than a week after these measures were launched, consumers are yet to get significant relief from the rising prices.