ROURKELA: The retail prices of vegetables continue to make steady rise in Sundargarh district and there is no indication of early let-up in the price rise.
Most of the vegetables are priced at `40 per kg while some are in the bracket of `80 to `160 per kg in the city. While the drum stick is the most costly vegetable selling at `160 per kg, capsicum costs `80 per kg. Cauliflower is priced between `60 and `80 a kg while tomato and bitter gourd are selling at `50 to `60.
Similarly, the prices of pointed gourd, beans, brinjal, strip gourd, cucumber, ladies finger and carrot have taken quantum jump to sell at `40 per kg. Coriander leaves which were sold at `50 in the past one week per kg, now costs `200. Similarly, garlic and ginger are expensive at `120 and `80 per kg respectively and green leaves remain cheaper at `50 per kg.
As a little respite, the potato price has come down by `2 to sell at `18-20 per kg, while onion continues upward swing to sell at `26 per kg. Only cabbage and pumpkin are relatively cheaper at `30 and `20 per kg respectively, while bottle gourd is priced at `20 per piece.
A roadside vendor Jagabandhu Sahu attributed the reason of price rise to demand and supply gap. He apprehended that the situation would continue for some more time in the wake of delayed monsoon.
A local trader Charan Naik said low vegetable production by the local farmers is one of the reasons for price rise. Besides, high demand for vegetables adds extra cost during procurement and coupled with the profits of middle men, those prove costly for the consumers, he added.
Except onion and potato, most of the vegetables are locally grown and supplied by the farmers of Nuagaon block in the district and adjacent rural pockets of Jharkhand, Naik said.