6 days ago
Veggie prices boil over to burn hole in pockets at onset of rains
Bhopal: Vegetable prices started rising in the city with the onset of the monsoon, and in no time, the prices of green vegetables went through the roof. Cauliflower (gobhi) and sponge gourd (gilki) are selling for Rs 120 per kg.
Bottle gourd (lauki) and cabbage (band gobhi) are selling for Rs 80 per kg. Tomatoes, which sold for Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg throughout the winter and summer, are now selling for Rs 60 per kg. Potatoes and onions are the only commodities being sold by the vegetable vendors for a steady Rs 30 per kg, with the modest pumpkin (kaddu) also selling for Rs 30 per kg.
"Vegetable prices tend to go up during the rainy season, alright, but this year, it happened too soon.
Only a fortnight ago, I went to Bittan weekly vegetable market, and everything was so cheap. A whole stack of brinjal for Rs 10, tomatoes Rs 20 to Rs 40 per kg, and hardly any vegetable except for exotic ones like beans and broccoli selling for over Rs 40 per kg.
But when I went to a vegetable shop on Saturday, it was not a weekly haat, though, nothing was selling for less than Rs 60 per kg. Karela and gilki selling for Rs 120 per kg surprised me a bit," said Prerna Sharma, a school teacher.
"I don't know how far it's possible for people, but I would suggest it's the time of the year when it's better to buy fruits rather than vegetables. You have a variety of mangoes, bananas, oranges, black plum (jamun), and some more, and they are not very costly either, except for lichee and, of course, pomegranate and apples, which are still costlier than vegetables," said Pankaj Dubey, a govt employee with a smile.
Rakesh Chaurasia, a vegetable vendor, when asked why the prices of vegetables have risen so quickly, said, "There was a decline in the supply of vegetables.
When prices of vegetables go up in the wholesale market, they obviously shoot up in the retail market also."
President of Bittan Market Sabji Vyapari Mahasangh, Hariom Khatik, said, "Prices of vegetables usually go up during the rainy season, but if kaddu starts selling for Rs 20 per kg in the wholesale market, we can safely say that prices of vegetables have really shot up. The amount of rain in the areas from where vegetables are brought to Bhopal is a major factor in deciding their prices. During the rainy season, vegetables are not produced in areas close to Bhopal, so the local arrival of vegetables declines a great deal.
Now, we are having supplies from Maharashtra, Ratlam, and Mandsaur side in Malwa and Maiher, and no doubt, the prices of all the vegetables are high."
