ROURKELA: Consumers in Rourkela city and the rest of Sundargarh district continue to feel the pinch as vegetables prices are lingering between Rs 60 and Rs 160 per kg for the past eight months.
In the retail markets of Rourkela, okra, brinjal, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, snake gourd, plantain, cow pea and Taro root are priced Rs 60 per kg, while pointed gourd and carrot are being sold at Rs 70-Rs 80. Drum stick is selling for Rs 80 per kg and green chilly for Rs 100-Rs 120. The large variety of teasle gourd is priced Rs 80-Rs 100 per kg with the small ones costing as high as Rs 240.
Capsicum is dearer at Rs 160 a kg while unseasonal cauliflower is available for Rs 100. Price of bottle gourd has almost tripled compared to last year and is selling at Rs 30 per piece. Tomato is being sold at Rs 50-Rs 60 per kg and cabbage at Rs 50 per kg. The price of pumpkin has doubled to Rs 40.
Selling for Rs 350-Rs 400, coriander leaves have become a luxury kitchen item. Though potato is selling for Rs 15-Rs 20 per kg, onion price has skyrocketed to `60 per kg since the last month. Worsening the food inflation crisis, the price of a dozen of eggs is fluctuating between Rs 80 and Rs 108.
Official sources said heavy rainfall in July and August severely affected sowing of vegetable crops in the surrounding rural pockets of Rourkela including Nuagaon, Bisra, Kuanrmunda, Lathikata and Rajgangpur blocks and the rest of Sundargarh. Due to late cultivation, supply of locally grown vegetables is limited.
Normally during this time of the year, vegetable prices significantly ease with arrival of local vegetable crops. By peak winter, the prices see a further dip.
Incidentally, considering the El Nino impact, the vegetable cultivation programme for the district’s kharif crops season 2026 has been slightly reduced to 26,729 hectares compared to 27,117 hectares in the previous year.
Chief district agriculture officer of Sundargarh Dilip Mishra said normally vegetable prices shoot up with pre-summer condition and gradually start easing with phase-wise arrival of local crops. He said heavy rainfall in July and August significantly delayed cultivation of vegetable crops in the district. Due to late sowing, local vegetable crops would take time to reach the markets, he added.
