Odisha mulls Onion Mission, to erect 300 cold storages

Bhubaneswar, August 3: Odisha
to go on a mission mode to preserve onions in the state.

Agriculture Minister
Pradeep Maharathy on Monday informed that to deal with the onion crisis, the
State Government is all set to launch an Onion Mission soon.

Under the mission, emphasis
would be given on opening of cold storages across the State to preserve onions
thereby streamlining the price hike. Seeds and loans would be ensured to the
farmers also under the mission.

Though the State has
been producing nearly 1 lakh metric tonnes onion per year than the demand but
due to the lack of storage facility the same are not being utilised.

“The demand of the
State is 2.97 metric tonnes while 3.95 MT onions are being produced per annum
in Odisha. Lack of cold storage facility is badly affecting the preservation
leading to price rise of onions,” said the Minister.

Majority of the
requirement is sourced from outside the State, mainly from West Bengal and
Maharashtra. 

He maintained that to
overcome such issues the State Government is contemplating to launch Onion
Mission like the Potato Mission.

Sources said around 300
cold storages would be set up across the State particularly in onion cultivated
areas.

Now, onion is being
sold at Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg in the State.