Cyclone Dana: Vegetable Prices Soaring In Odisha As Panic Buying Takes Hold

In Bhubaneswar's local markets, tomatoes are now selling for Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kg. Additionally, the prices of other vegetables such as beans, ladyfinger, and cauliflower have also increased

The prices of vegetables, including potatoes and onions, have surged in Odisha markets as consumers engage in panic buying following the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast of an impending cyclone Dana. On Tuesday, the price of potatoes at Chhatra Bazaar in Cuttack jumped from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per kilogram. Similarly, the cost of onions rose to Rs 60 per kilogram, up from Rs 40, at one of Odisha's largest vegetable markets. 

In Bhubaneswar's local markets, tomatoes are now selling for Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kilogram. Additionally, the prices of other vegetables such as beans, brinjal, ladyfinger, and cauliflower have also increased by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kilogram. 

A significant rush in the vegetable markets has been observed as consumers seek to stock up on essential items like potatoes and onions in anticipation of the cyclone, which is expected to impact the 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 Nibedita Behera, a housewife from Cuttack, told the news agency PTI.

Local vendors have attributed the price increase to a shortage of trucks transporting potatoes, coupled with concerns about potential 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 in the report.

Meanwhile, Odisha's Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister, Krushna Chandra Patra, warned that strict action will be taken against traders engaging in black marketing and illegally hoarding essential goods.

"I have directed our departmental officials to conduct raids on markets to check illegal hoarding of vegetables," he said.

Patra also discussed scheduling a meeting with traders this afternoon to urge their cooperation with the government during this critical period. He also appealed to the public not to panic buy, emphasising that the state has an adequate supply of vegetables and food items.

During a cyclone preparedness meeting on Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed relevant officials to monitor and prevent the black marketing of essential goods.