Bhubaneswar: With the price of onion rising day by day and as there is comparatively a short supply of it, Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak today warned people of action who will be found hoarding or black-marketing the essential vegetable, in a presser while briefing mediapersons.

The department is keeping a strict vigil on traders with malafide intentions and wants consumers to get onion at fair prices, particularly till the crop is harvested and reaches the market.

“The time to harvest onion is nearing and it will reach the market after around a month. Presently, there is a gap in the production and supply that needs to be managed well to provide onions to consumers at fair prices. We have accordingly instructed the Collectors of all districts,” Minister Nayak said.

The retail price of onion in the markets of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack twin cities was Rs 65 per kilogram.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Central government yesterday fixed the minimum export price (MEP) of onion at $800 per metric tonne from October 29 till December 31 this year with a view to managing the availability of the vegetable in the domestic market and to regulate its price as well.

"The measure was taken to maintain sufficient availability of onion to domestic consumers at affordable prices as the quantity of stored Rabi crop of onion in 2023 is declining,” the Central government said in its statement referring to crops sown in the winter season.