BHUBANESWAR: Amid the government’s claims of retail inflation cooling down in the country, vegetable prices have sky-rocketed in the state forcing the common people to cut down on their daily food menu.While traders blame the situation on the heat wave condition prevailing in the country and causing damage to crops, the rising prices of seasonal greens and vegetables procured within the state have hit the low and medium income people hard. Almost all vegetables except tomato are selling above Rs 60 per kg in the retail market.
The price of brinjal, a common vegetable in every Odia household, has doubled since the last weak of April. The vegetable which was available for Rs 20-23 a kg in local markets is now selling at Rs 60-80.
Summer is the season when pointed gourd, commonly known as potala, is available aplenty, and generally prices of the vegetable remain at Rs 40 a kg. This summer has been different. Potala was priced at Rs 120 per kg in April and slightly cooled down in May to Rs 60. But, it has again shot up to Rs 80. This is also the season for ridge gourd (janhi), but the vegetable is also selling at Rs 60-80 per kg. Tomato which was available at Rs 20 a kg till two weeks ago has suddenly became costly.
The prices of the vegetable in local market is Rs 40 a kg while in super bazaar it is sold at Rs 45-50.
There have also been a remarkable change in the prices of beans, capsicum and drumstick. The retail price of beans, which is sourced from Karnataka, is Rs 220-240 per kg against the wholesale price of Rs 110-120. Capsicum which was available at Rs 20 a kg in April and till first week of May in Unit-I market skyrocketed to Rs 60 a kg in second week of May. The wholesale price of capsicum now is Rs 75-80 a kg while the retail price is Rs 100-120.
Ginger has become one of the costliest items in the vegetable market. A staple in everyone’s kitchen, ginger is being sold at Rs 280-300 per kg in the market.Attributing the skyrocketing prices to extreme summer, general secretary of Vegetable Merchant Association, Aiginia, Santosh Sahoo told The New Indian Express that there is a drastic fall in vegetable production in the state due to crop damage.
“Once the mosoon sets in the state, which is expected next week, the prices of all kinds of vegetables will shoot up further for two more months,” cautioned Sahu.The rain will damage the existing vegetable crops and it will take minimum two months for new crops to to be harvested, he added.