With the sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices, citizens bear the brunt as prices of essential goods go up by 15-25% during festival time
The rising fuel prices, especially the petrol and diesel rates in recent weeks, has sent prices of essential goods – vegetables and fruits soaring to the sky. After potatoes, it’s the 15-25 per cent rise in vegetable pricing that is pinching hard to household budgets. It’s been a fortnight and the prices are only going north. Many fear that this will fuel inflation as the price rise comes at a time when people are gearing for Ganesh festival. Even flowers have not been spared from the rising fuel costs.
Traders from the wholesale market in Vashi said that the impact would have been worse if the supply of fruits and vegetables was not in abundance. However, Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) traders fear that the price rise will last for a longer duration as the farmers will have to bear the brunt of rise in diesel and petrol prices. “Many vegetable growing areas use diesel pumps to irrigate the fields. The rise in fuel price will certainly impact input cost,” said Bhupen Shah, a vegetable trader at APMC in Vashi.
Farmers bringing vegetables in Mumbai have to pay more for transportation due to the hike in diesel price. “There is a marginal rise in transportation cost in the last one fortnight. However, the retail price will see more impact,” said a senior administrative official from the APMC Vashi.
Bal Malkit Singh, chairman of the core committee of All India Motor Transport Congress said that there will be a cascading affect. “In the current scenario, there will be 15 per cent rise in transportation,” said Singh. He added that they have no option but to increase the transportation cost and end-user of commodity will have to bear it.
On Sunday, the retail price of some vegetables reached touched Rs 80 per kg. Drumsticks which were being sold for Rs 40 per kg till last week touched Rs 80 per kg on Sunday. Similarly, green peas which were available for Rs 60 per kg are not being sold at Rs 100 per kg. Pramila Patil, a resident of Dadar said that it has become difficult to manage their household budget with frequent rise in fruits and vegetable prices. “This is festival season and we have to manage everything with the same income. Rise in vegetable price has added to our woes,” she said.
Since there is poor yield of potato across the country, the retail price of potato has again touched Rs 30 per kg. “The price of potato had come down to Rs 20 per kg but due to rise in transportation, it is again being sold at Rs 30-35 per kg,” said Shah.
The city receives vegetables from Pune, Karnataka, Nashik and Gujarat. On September 8, around 540 trucks laden with green vegetables arrived at the APMC Vashi. “This is normal supply of vegetables but the retail price saw a jump due to the all-time-high fuel prices,” said another trader.
In the last one fortnight, diesel prices increased by around Rs 4 per litre. “Last year in the same period, the price of diesel was around 62, an increase of Rs 14 will certainly impact transportation cost,” said the trader.
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Bal Malkit Singh, chairman of the core committee of All India Motor Transport Congress said that there will be a cascading affect. “In the current scenario, there will be 15 per cent rise in transportation,” said Singh. He added that they have no option but to increase the transportation cost and end-user of commodity will have to bear it. 
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