VIJAYAWADA: Organic vegetable stalls, recently inaugurated by district collector B Lakshmikantham in Rythu bazaars across the Krishna district, are failing to pull the crowd.
Though many people are interested in purchasing organic vegetables, they are put off by their high prices. Sample this: While normal tomatoes cost Rs 13 per kg, the organic ones are priced at around Rs 30 per kg.
The prices of the organic vegetables are fixed by the vendors themselves. To bring uniformity in pricing, marketing officials told TNIE that they will take up job in their hands and fix the prices of organic vegetables from tomorrow.
The stocks of vegetables in these stalls are limited to a few kilogrammes; people are wary of buying them because of their high prices. In Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazaar in Vijayawada, there is only one stall selling organic vegetables. It has four to five varieties of vegetables such as ivy gourd, cucumber, tomatoes and onion and quantity too is less — two to three kg. Despite being organic, the vegetables do not look pleasing to the eye; another reason why most customers do not shell out the prices quoted.
N Valli, a customer said, “Who doesn’t want to buy vegetables that are free from pesticides and fertilisers. But the cost too, is important. One cannot expect middle class people to buy tomatoes for Rs 30 per kg, when they are available at Rs 13 kg. Though it (organic vegetable stall) is a nice initiative, it is equally important to make their prices affordable.”
It may be noted the administration planned to set up separate stalls for organic vegetables in Rythu bazaars across the district. In this regard, officials have identified some Rythu bazaars to sell the organic vegetables and fruits along with organic foods such as millets and pulses cultivated with zero based natural farming (ZBNF).
Speaking to TNIE, Assistant Director, Marketing, Ravikumar said from Monday onwards proper price boards will be set up in every Rythu Bazaar.