ROURKELA: Sundargarh district may have been a bulk producer of vegetables but continues to grapple with spiralling prices of the essentials this winter.
The rising prices have heaped additional miseries on the consumers amid prolonged inflation of all other food commodities. In fact the consumers are getting battered from all sides.
Market sources at Rourkela informed among staple vegetables potato is priced at Rs 45 per kg while onion is costlier at Rs 55 per kg. For potato, Rourkela city and other markets of Sundargarh are dependent on West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh whereas Nashik largely caters to the onion needs.
For other vegetable crops, the district is a bulk grower with Nuagaon block regarded as one of the leading producers of horticulture crops in Odisha. Besides Nuagaon, Bisra, Kuanrmunda, Lathikata, Lahunipada, Kutra, Bargaon, Tangarpali and several other blocks significantly contribute to vegetable production.
Around this time of the year, locally-grown vegetables flood the Rourkela market, substantially bringing down the cost. Locally-grown tomato is priced around Rs 10 per kg or less, while most other vegetables sell for Rs 20 to Rs 40 per kg.
This winter, however, seems to be an exception. Cauliflower is priced in the range of Rs 40-Rs 50, while bitter-gourd sells for Rs 60. Brinjal, bean, plantain and pointed-gourd are selling in the price range of Rs 50-Rs 60 per kg, while medium size bottle-gourd is available for Rs 20 per kg.
Similarly, garlic is priced at Rs 360, while coriander leaf continues to be dearer at Rs 400 per kg. Limited availability vegetables like drum-stick, lady’s-finger, chickpea are priced Rs 80 or above, while capsicum is priced Rs 60 per kg. Only carrot price has come down to Rs 40 from Rs 60. Cow-pea continues to be sold at Rs 40 per kg.
In the kharif season, the district agriculture strategic committee had targeted to cover 36,800 ha with vegetable crops and the target was claimed to have been achieved which raises question as to why the price of the vegetables runs so high.
Deputy director of horticulture of Sundargarh Sukanta Naik said he was clueless about inadequate availability of locally-grown vegetables in the local markets though the phenomenon prevails across Odisha. He believes low yield could be a reason.
Some vegetable farmers cited delayed and erratic monsoon to be the culprit and pointed out that most vegetable farmers delayed vegetable cultivation which is why standing crops would take 15 days to a month to reach the markets.