New Delhi: Vegetable prices are witnessing a fresh jump due to increase in fuel prices in the national capital and unseasonal rains in many parts of the country. The common man is bearing the brunt of the rising prices of vegetables in the market, which is expected to bring some relief next month.
Which vegetables have seen an uptick?
The wholesale and retail markets of the city have witnessed a sharp rise in the prices of vegetables, especially tomatoes and okra, in the last one month. Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) chairman Adil Ahmed Khan said that the price of tomato was Rs 33.5 per kg in October and it is selling at Rs 44.25, while the price of okra increased from Rs 15 last month to Rs 35 per kg. Is. ) Azadpur Mandi.
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Sonu Pehalwan, a vegetable vendor at the Okhla fruit and vegetable market, says, “With higher fuel prices and rains, the prices of vegetables go up. How will daily wage laborers buy tomatoes for Rs 70 a kg? The entire budget has gone haywire.” Agency ANI.
The higher prices are apparently more pronounced in the retail and online market, where customers have to spend anything between Rs 90 to Rs 108 and Rs 100 to Rs 120, respectively, for a kilogram of tomato and okra, reports PTI. . Pumpkin, cauliflower and gourd among other vegetables have also seen a boom of late, affecting the budget of housewives like Vandana Thappa in Ramesh Nagar.
“Every day you go out to buy vegetables, the price is higher than yesterday. You try to bargain with the vendor, and he tells you ‘piche se hi mehnga aa raha raha hai’ (Wholesale market only) getting at an inflated price from Rs.
Rise in retail prices of tomatoes across the country
According to government data, retail tomato prices are ruling at Rs 80 per kg in most cities across India, but due to widespread rains, prices have gone up to Rs 120 per kg in some southern states.
The retail price of tomato was Rs 100 per kg in Chennai, Rs 90 per kg in Puducherry, Rs 88 per kg in Bengaluru and Rs 65 per kg in Hyderabad.
In Kerala, the retail prices of tomatoes are ruling at Rs 120 per kg in Kottayam, Rs 110 per kg in Ernakulam, Rs 103 per kg in Thiruvananthapuram, Rs 100 per kg in Palakkad, Rs 97 per kg in Thrissur and Rs 90 per kg. . in Wayanad and Kozhikode.
In Karnataka, the retail price of tomato is Rs 85 per kg in Dharwad, Rs 84 in Mysore, Rs 80 per kg in Mangalore and Rs 78 in Bellary.
In Andhra Pradesh, tomato prices are ruling at Rs 91 per kg in Vijawada, Rs 80 per kg in Visakhapatnam and Rs 75 per kg in Tirupati.
In Tamil Nadu, tomatoes are selling at Rs 119 per kg in Ramanathapuram, Rs 103 in Tirunelveli, Rs 97 in Tiruchirappalli, Rs 94 in Cuddalore and Rs 90 in Coimbatore.
However, in the national capital, tomatoes were sold at Rs 72 per kg, according to data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry for 167 centers representing all regions of the country.
What is the reason behind the rise in the prices of vegetables?
APMC Chairman Adil Ahmed Khan Khan mentioned that any increase in the price of diesel affects the price of vegetables and this is being seen now. Hence, the prices of almost all green vegetables are higher as compared to the previous month. “Apart from the hike in diesel prices, the short supply of vegetables is also on account of damage caused by rains and heavy demand for vegetables during the ongoing wedding season. These are also important reasons behind the rise in prices,” Khan said.
Petrol in Delhi was being sold at Rs 103.97 per liter on Wednesday, while diesel was being sold at Rs 86.67 per litre. According to SP Gupta, former APMC president of Ghazipur mandi, the skyrocketing prices of vegetables will start coming down somewhat next month with the arrival of new crops in the market.
“This time there was little or no supply from neighboring cities like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh due to unseasonal rains and damage to crops. The tomatoes we are getting are coming from Shivpuri or Shimla in Madhya Pradesh. In fact, Our supplies come from here. Bangalore is also not coming,” he said. However, Gupta expects some respite from the start of supplies from other states next month.
“We will start getting our supplies from all these states from next month, which will help bring down the increased price of vegetables,” Gupta said.
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