As potato cools off, onion tears well up in consumers’ eyes

BHUBANESWAR: As potato prices are all set to cool off with resumption of normal supply following lifting of restriction on the inter-state trade by the West Bengal government, rising prices of other vegetables have emerged a new worry for the consumers.

Onion, another major kitchen essential, is leading the surge, burning hole in the people’s pockets. The edible bulb which was selling at Rs 40 a week back is now priced at Rs 60 a kg in retail markets notwithstanding the fact that procurement from source markets continues to be stable.

City traders, however, feared that the price may rise further in the coming days as it remains high in the wholesale markets of Nashik and Lasalgaon in Maharashtra, the largest onion trading hub of the country.

“The average price of onion has increased by around 30 per cent following a surge in demand after the Shravan month. The wholesale price at Nashik has reached Rs 35 per kg as on Wednesday. Adding transportation cost, the wholesale price in Bhubaneswar is Rs 41 per kg,” said secretary of Kuberpuri Byabasayee Sangha, Shakti Shankar Mishra.

He attributed the other reason of the price rise to depleting stock in the Maharashtra markets. It will take another month for arrival of new crops. Onion traders there are reportedly holding on to their stock anticipating further price increase due to extended rainfall in October and November.

Mishra, however, saw no reason for potato selling at Rs 40 in retail market when the wholesale price is at Rs 22-25 per kg. “We have been receiving 200-250 tonne of potato from West Bengal from Tuesday night after lifting of ban on the inter-state movement by the TMC government there. All the potato-laden trucks (about 250) stranded near check gates on Bengal side entered Odisha on Tuesday night,” Mishra said.