Vegetable prices soar due to panic buying

Bhubaneswar: The prices of vegetables, including potato and onion, have increased in Odisha markets as consumers resorted to panic buying amid IMD’s prediction of a cyclone hitting the Odisha coast, traders said on Tuesday. At Chhatra Bazaar in Cuttack, the price of potato increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per kg on Tuesday. The price of onion has also increased to Rs 60 per kg from Rs 40 in the market, which is one of the largest vegetable markets in Odisha. Tomato is being sold for Rs 80 to Rs 100 in the local markets in Bhubaneswar, traders said.

The prices of other vegetables like beans, brinjal, ladies’ finger and cauliflower have also increased by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg. There was a huge rush in the vegetable markets as consumers wanted to store sufficient amounts of vegetables, especially potato and onion, in view of the cyclone, which is expected to hit Odisha coast by October 25.

“We don’t know how the market will be after the cyclone hits the State. If the supply chain is disrupted, it may lead to further increase in the price. So, I bought a sufficient amount of potato and onion for my family,” said a housewife from Cuttack. Local vendors have attributed the price hike to scarcity of potato-laden trucks and the anticipation of further disruptions if the cyclone makes landfall. “We bought potatoes with a hiked price from the wholesale market... There is a shortfall in the supply compared to the demand, so the price has gone up,” a trader from Chhatra Bazaar said. Meanwhile, Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra warned that strong action will be taken against traders, who will indulge in black marketing and illegal hoarding of essential consumable items. “I have directed our departmental officials to conduct raids on markets to check illegal hoarding of vegetables,” he said. Patra said he called a meeting with traders to appeal to them to cooperate with the government during this period. The minister also appealed to the people not to resort to panic buying as the State has a sufficient amount of vegetables and food items.

On Monday, while holding a cyclone preparedness meeting, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had instructed officials concerned to check black marketing of the

essential goods.