By Sanjeev Kumar Patro

Bhubaneswar: October, September is known as the fall months. But for the consumers in the State, the months are spike months, as the price of all commodities, especially vegetables, has gone through the ceiling.

Sample the following. 

• Brinjal in September was Rs 40-50/kg
• Brinjal prices in October at Rs 60-80/kg (As per APMC report, the price of Brinjal in Baripada is quoted at 80/kg)
• Parval (Potal) in September at Rs 40-50/kg
• Parval (Potal) in October Rs 60-125/kg
• Onion in September at Rs 40-50/kg
• Onion in October at 50-92/kg
• Only cheapest vegetables available in market are pumpkin, green banana and potato.
• Tomato prices have gone through the ceiling.  
• Cabbage prices that have gone high in September, eased a bit in October as the price per kg now stands at 40-50/kg from 60-70 in September.
• The whole sale prices of Brinjal now stand at Rs47/kg, and is nearly 13% up from last year.

The consumer price index for the month of September has been released by Union government recently. As per the report, prices of vegetables have been the prime factor behind highest rate of inflation in the country after 9-months.

ODISHA KEY PRICEY STATE IN COUNTRY    

Even as the price chart menu for the month of September in Odisha looks pallid when compared with October, still the State figured in the top pricey states in the country in September. 

With a high overall inflation rate of 6.56%, Odisha occupies the dubious rank of number four priciest state in the country. As per the data released by the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, the rural inflation rate in the State was high at 7.03% and the urban inflation at 5.23% in September 2024. In rural Odisha consumers are paying nearly 2% (1.8%) more than their counterparts.

Among 22 states, only the following states have higher rate of inflation in September than Odisha.

• Bihar: rate of inflation highest in country at 7.5%
• Chhattisgarh : rate of Inflation at 7.36%
• Uttar Pradesh : rate of inflation at 6.74%
• Odisha : Rate of Inflation at 6.56%
• In Bihar, the rural inflation rate 7.6% and urban at 7.05%
• In Chhattisgarh, the rural rate of inflation highest at 7.96%, urban at 6.31%
• In UP, rural at 7.55% and urban at 5.28%
• The rural inflation rate in Odisha stands at 7.03% and urban at 5.23%

NOVEMBER NO REPSITE

Though rains have played the spoilsport for spurt in vegee food prices in the State in September, the prices will not go down in the near future. It seems, as per the APMC report, the low stock arrivals of vegetables at the mandis in the State continued in october too. Reports suggest the prices of vegetables going south bound only from the last week of November. So the ituation is unlikely to improve till November second week.

However, a favourable weather in November will lead to substantial fall in prices of vegetables in November last week and December.