Consumers Struggle as Vegetable Prices Stay High Across Odisha Even After Kartik Month

Bhubaneswar: Vegetable prices in Odisha continue to trouble consumers, with rates remaining unusually high even after the Kartik month. Shoppers had expected prices to fall in the Margashira month, but most vegetables are still priced above 60 rupees per kilogram.

For the past eight days, prices have remained unchanged, with several items such as brinjal, capsicum, beans and Shimla mirch still selling at over 100 rupees per kilogram in many markets.

Interestingly, vegetables brought from outside the state are now cheaper than local produce. According to traders at Bhubaneswar’s Unit-1 Market, local varieties are costlier, while brinjal from Raipur and West Bengal is priced between 50 and 60 rupees per kilogram.

In contrast, brinjal arriving from Nakhara is being sold for more than 100 rupees. Similarly, Nayagarh's pointed gourd (potala) costs around 80 rupees per kilogram, whereas the same from West Bengal range between 40 and 50 rupees.

Also read: Odisha youth does a 'green' miracle by growing vegetables without soil, sunlight.

The market currently offers seven types of brinjal, three varieties of cabbage and four types of tomatoes. Traders say that while prices remain high elsewhere, the Unit-1 Market is seeing slightly lower rates.

Odisha is presently producing vegetables like ridge gourd, bottle gourd, cucumber and sponge gourd. However, supplies from districts where cultivation is underway are limited. Very little produce is reaching Bhubaneswar from local areas.

Odisha's dependency on other states

Tomato production in Odisha will only begin between January and March, forcing the state to depend on Maharashtra and Raipur for supplies. Despite winter setting in, early-season vegetables have not yet arrived in sufficient quantities. As a result, Odisha continues to rely heavily on neighbouring states for brinjal, pointed gourd, cabbage, raw banana and other items.

Prolonged rainfall caused the problem

Traders blame prolonged rainfall for delaying vegetable cultivation. Many farmlands remained waterlogged until late October, slowing down planting. Farmers say that fewer people have taken up vegetable cultivation this year compared to last year due to the prolonged rainfall. At present, only limited quantities of leafy vegetables and brinjal are reaching the Bhubaneswar markets from local areas.

Situation may improve in coming days

Market observers expect the situation to improve in the next 15 to 20 days. Once fresh local produce reaches Bhubaneswar’s markets, vegetable prices are likely to ease slightly.