Bhubaneswar, Nov 13: Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra has attributed the recent spike in onion prices in Odisha to the high rates in major producing regions. He highlighted that even in Nashik, a key onion-producing area, prices have soared to Rs 45 per kilogram, impacting costs across the supply chain. 

Since Odisha does not produce enough onions locally, the state relies heavily on imports. In response to rising prices, the government, in collaboration with NAFED, is working to offer onions at a subsidized rate of Rs 30 per kilogram.

Reports indicate that Odisha has seen onion prices rise dramatically—by Rs 30 per kilogram in the past 15 days—reaching Rs 70 per kilogram in wholesale markets. This price surge has caught consumers off guard, especially given the lower demand during the Kartik month.

Odisha consumes around 5 lakh metric tons of onions annually, while local production, primarily from Titlagarh and Angul districts, meets only about 60,000 tons. To bridge this gap, the state imports onions from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, with 20 truckloads arriving daily. Cuttack’s Chhatrabazaar alone receives 5 trucks, supplying 80-100 tons per day to help meet demand.

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