Goa Minister Michael Lobo: 'Increasing onion prices have affected state's tourism badly'

As onion prices continue to increase in various states of India, Goa's Minister of Rural Development  Michael Lobo on Saturday spoke about impact onion price and its poor impact on tourism of Goa. In his statement, Lobo said: " arrival of tourists in Goa is less than last year. When tourists ask for onions in ir food, y are being given cabb instead."

He furr suggested citizens should start growing vegetables in ir houses. Apart from that, people should also encour ir children to start growing vegetables, he said.
"Goa was once self-sufficient as far as growing vegetables were concerned. Today we are buying vegetables from Karnataka, Maharashtra and or states. So, we should grow our own vegetables," he said. rise in onion prices has been hugely drawing public outr and remains to be a crucial problem for government. 

READ | Bihar: Criminal complaint against Minister Ram Vilas Paswan over onion price rise

Goa CM on onion prices

Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant on Friday stated that Goa's Susegado (laid-back) attitude has led landowners to give up on farming, causing  prices of onions to skyrocket. He said that government is t responsible for soaring onion prices. Instead, people are responsible for being Susegado. Highlighting importance of planting vegetables CM said, that people have quit planting rice and vegetables. 

"Susegado" also spelt as Sucegado, is an Indo-Portuguese word that signifies a range of sentiments in Goa, including contentedness, relaxed, or a laid-back attitude towards life that is said to have existed historically in Goa.

READ | Goa's susegado attitude is cause of skyrocketing onion prices: CM Pramod Sawant

Government on increasing onion prices

Prices of onion in many places have crossed Rs 100 per kg because of less production. Nirmala Sitharaman had said in Lok Sabha that government had taken several steps to check rising prices of onion and had also initiated steps to improve techlogy for better stor of kitchen staple. Attributing short to low production, minister had said re were severe "structural problems" related to onions.

price of onion will come down by December end or by first week of January, said Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister R P Swain. He said onion is being procured from or states like Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh as production of vegetable bulb here is t adequate. minister also claimed government has opened 256 fair price shops to sell onion at affordable rates, people from different parts of state said vegetable has t been available for last two days.

READ | Punjab: Locals express distress on soaring onion prices

READ | Centre to import over 17K MT onion from Turkey & Egypt to control price rise

(With inputs from ANI)