JEYPORE: Amid the joy of the Dussehra festival, people in Koraput region have been left to grapple with soaring vegetable prices across various local markets. Prices of common vegetables such as brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, and tomatoes have reached an all-time high of up to Rs 80 per kilogram in Jeypore, Koraput, Semiliguda, Borrigumma, and Kotpad markets, putting a strain on consumers.
The surge in vegetable prices is primarily due to the rise in demand for a variety of vegetables during the Navaratri festival. Local markets have struggled to keep up with the demand, resulting in price spikes.
Market sources reveal that despite local farmers producing an average of 100 tonnes of vegetables, the supply falls short as a significant portion is transported to other regions.
During the festival days, the district requires approximately 300 to 350 metric tonnes of vegetables daily. To meet this demand, vegetable traders resort to importing vegetables from neighbouring Raipur and Jagadalpur in Chhattisgarh. Consequently, this influx of outside produce also drives up prices in Koraput.
In previous years, though Koraput didn’t face such a vegetable crisis, this year, cyclonic rains damaged vegetable crops in the region, exacerbating the situation.
Purna Gouda, a vegetable trader at the Jeypore market, explains, “We are selling imported vegetables according to market requirements, and the cost is a bit high for consumers. Prices are expected to come down only after the new crop arrives post-Dussehra.”With no price control imposed by the district civil supplies department, vegetable vendors have the liberty to set prices as they see fit. This has left consumers struggling to afford vegetables.