Vijayawada residents feel the pinch as veggie prices soar due to scant rains

The sudden rise in the prices of vegetables has been attributed to drop in production due to the delayed monsoon.
People purchase vegetables at Kaleswara Rao market in the city  on Saturday. (Photo| Prasant Madugula/EPS)
People purchase vegetables at Kaleswara Rao market in the city on Saturday. (Photo| Prasant Madugula/EPS)

VIJAYAWADA: Prices of vegetables have skyrocketed beyond the reach of the common man leaving them with no other choice but to restrict their diet to a few cheaper vegetables. The prices of green chillies and carrots are above Rs 60 per kg. Price of tomatoes has witnessed a hike of Rs 5 per kg within five days. At the rythu bazars in the city, a kg of tomatoes cost Rs 33, up from Rs 28 on Friday.

Majority of the residents prefer rythu bazaars to purchase vegetables at affordable rates. Many of them buy the vegetables in large quantities. However, the price rise has forced many not to opt for bulk purchases. 

The sudden rise in the prices of vegetables has been attributed to drop in production due to the delayed monsoon. The price rise has led to a dip in demand, affecting the sellers. “Usually, I used to sell over two quintals of chillies every day. But now, I am not able to sell even one quintal,” said N Prasad, a trader at Kaleswara Rao market.

The price of chillies has been constantly going north over the past 10 days, touching Rs 64 per kg on Saturday. Even popular vegetables such as brinjal, lady’s finger, gherkins and ridge gourd are priced over Rs 34 per kg. On the other hand, exotic vegetables such as French beans and carrots have touched Rs 100 per kg and Rs 62 per kg respectively, while capsicum is priced at Rs 48 per kg.

Green leafy vegetables are also burning the pockets of common people. At Rs 30 per bunch, price of coriander leaves has doubled within a week. However, prices of onions and potatoes, used in most dishes, are stable at around Rs 20 per kg.

“Not just tomatoes or chillies, all the vegetables have become so expensive that at Rs 100, we are not even able to buy 3 kg of vegetables,” said homemaker B Nivedita. Orices of basic ingredients such as ginger and garlic have risen to Rs 180 and Rs 110 per kg respectively, up from Rs 60 per kg before onset of summer.
“The rapid increase in prices of vegetables is due to lesser production and supply.

Though prices are expected to come down within a fortnight depending upon the production, prices of chillies and tomatoes are expected to rise for a week,” said Swaraj Maidan rythu bazaar estate officer M Rajesh said.

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