Soaring vegetable prices pinch common man’s pocket in Odisha, likely to increase further

Cuttack: Be it potato or tomato, cabbage or carrot, the vegetable prices in Odisha have now doubled and have started to pinch common man’s pocket so hard that they find it difficult to manage the house.

A few days ago, the prices of potato and onion had gone up leaving the consumers in a state of concern. However, now the prices of most of the vegetables, which were sold at Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg, have doubled and increased to more than Rs 80.

While a few vegetables are being sold at Rs 60 per kg, the prices of some of the vegetables even have crossed the Rs 100-mark (per kg) due to which a consumer has to spend over a 1000 rupees to get a bag (of ten kgs) full of vegetables.

In Chhatra Bazar of Cuttack, which is famous as the hub of vegetables in Odisha, most of the vegetables are sold at Rs 60-70 per kg. However, in the streets and Millennium City, they (vegetables) are sold for Rs 80 per kg.

Reacting over the price hike, the members of the Chhatra Bazar Traders Association said that the prices have gone up as the production of vegetables is still low in various districts of Odisha. Besides, many green vegetables come to Odisha from Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal and other states but due to heavy rains, the crops were destroyed there and it has affected the market here.

The vegetable prices are likely to rise further as the demand of vegetable is all set to increase because the holy month of Kartik is beginning from Friday. During the Kartik month, most of the Hindu brethren abstain from meat and consume only veg-meal.

Meanwhile, the common people said that the State government should take some immediate steps to check the vegetable price hike and set up cold storages so that vegetable will always be available at lower prices.