Bhubaneswar: After potatoes, onions started bringing tears to the eyes of consumers in the state as the retail price of the tuber saw a Rs 3 per kg jump in a single day. The retail price of the kitchen essential, which was sold at Rs 15 per kg Sunday in local markets here, has been increased to Rs 18 per kg, Monday.
Sources in the wholesale markets here said the price was hiked due to a steep fall in supply from other states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as the farmers of at least seven states are on a 10-day-long nationwide protest. The strike started June 1.
Farmers from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are on a nationwide strike demanding waiver of loans, right prices for their crops and implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report, sources said.
As part of the protests, farmers have stopped supply of milk, vegetables and essential farm produce leading to a crunch in supply leading to escalation of vegetable prices in the markets.
“The wholesale price of onion was increased yesterday due to shortage in supply. As a result, the price of onions was increased. But, today the situation has come to normal and the wholesale price is about Rs 1100 per quintal. I hope the rate will come down, Tuesday,” said general secretary of All Odisha Traders Association Sudhakar Panda.
The state depends on Maharashtra to meet the onion requirement of its people while it is Bangalore for tomatoes and some other vegetables. People in the state may face a crisis of shortage, if the protest continues for a long term, he said. Sources in the government said they are closely monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, the nationwide stir of farmers
entered the fourth day Monday.
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