Flood shoots up Orissa onion prices

Besides onion, the prices of several other vegetables have also gone up in the Orissa market during the last few days as their supplies from Karnataka have come to a grinding halt because of the floods.

Market sources said nearly 75 per cent onion demand of Orissa was being met by Karnataka. The state gets the rest 25 per cent from two other states — Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

As the supply from Karnataka has stopped completely there has been a huge shortage of onion in the market leading to sharp rise in its prices. A kilo of onion which was available at Rs 13 just a week back has now gone up to Rs 29 to Rs 31 per kilo.

Market sources expect a further increase in the onion prices as the supply from Karnataka is unlikely to be resumed soon.

Other Karnataka-dependent vegetables whose prices have shot up during the last couple of days included cauliflower, cabbage, beans and tomato.

The natural calamity in Karnataka is also having a huge impact on the flower market in Orissa as the supply of flowers from the southern state has virtually stopped, following the floods.