Onset of monsoon leads to sky high vegetable prices

The onset of the monsoon has led to prices of vegetables and fruits hitting the roof. Tomatoes have become especially expensive at Rs 70 per kg in the retail market, ensuring that it is fast going beyond the reach of the common man. 

Wholesalers in the Azadpur Mandi claim to have been buying them for Rs 40-50 per kilogram, which is then being sold for a minimum of Rs 70. Most of the crop reaching the vegetable market comes from Haryana, with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh also contributing to the product. According to people in the trade, the rains, in the past 10   days, have triggered the steep price rise of tomatoes.

This coupled with many farmers in Haryana destroying the crop due to increased humidity and heat, has added to tomato woes. “This crop rots very quickly. So farmers, if unable to sell it off within a stipulated period, do away with it. Summer heat and humidity spoilt a lot of produce this season,” said Ashok Kaushik, member, Azadpur Sabzi Mandi committee.

He added that some of the harvest from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh is being sent to south India, which is another reason for limited supply and increased prices.

The prices of other vegetables like capsicum, carrot, and peas, and fruits like mangoes too have increased sharply. The retail price of capsicum is Rs 120 per kilogram, while wholesale it is available at Rs 90 per kg. Carrot and peas are being sold at Rs 60 and 120 per kilogram respectively in the retail market. Ginger is priced at Rs 80 for a kilogram in the wholesale market while mangoes are for Rs 70.

Residents, meanwhile, are miffed at this rise in price, saying that it has disturbed their household budget. “Imagine buying capsicum for Rs 120. Going by the way vegetables are becoming expensive, looks like we would soon stop cooking food. My monthly expenditure budget has been hit badly,” said Reena Kumar, a housewife.