Bhubaneswar, Sept. 7 -- Onion prices have surged across Odisha, with the vegetable now selling at around Rs 70 per kg in several markets. From Balasore and Berhampur to Bolangir and Cuttack, onion prices have risen as supplies to the markets remain low.

The shortage also affected Cuttack's Chhatra Bazar, where five to six trucks carrying onions used to arrive every day. Traders said that only one or two trucks now reached the market occasionally, pushing up prices and directly affecting consumers and retailers.

Odisha remains dependent on supplies from outside the state as onion production is limited. Apart from some districts in western Odisha and Angul, onion cultivation is hardly undertaken in other parts of the state.

As a result, ...