Veggie prices soar as local produce dries up in Jaipur

JAIPUR: The retail prices of vegetables are on fire again in the city as locally harvested produce has exhausted.
Wholesale traders of Muhana Mandi said that the prices will continue to rise in the coming days due to low supply of vegetables. There would be no dip in the prices till September, they said.
The prices of tomatoes are Rs 60-70 per kilogram in the retail market. “Even during complete lockdown, we were selling tomatoes for Rs 20-30 per kilogram in the retail market. But as the locally harvested tomatoes are over, we are dependent on Andhra Pradesh and Nashik for this vegetable,” said Abdul Sagir, a wholesale dealer at the Sodala Sabzi Mandi said on Thursday.
Other locally harvested vegetables, including bottle gourd, ladyfinger, beans and others are completely exhausted. “These vegetables are available from January to June only. Thus, for coming months, we are dependent on other states for the timely vegetable supply,” said Ramesh Singh, a trader at Jhotwara.
“In May 2020, the prices of bottle gourd, ladyfinger, round gourd, coriander, tomatoes and ginger were low to an extent that they were sold at cheaper prices compared to May 2019. However, since July 1, the prices are increasing mainly because of short supply, damage to local harvest and increased demand,” said Pappu Lal Prajapat, president of Rajasthan Phal Sabzi Thok Vyapaar Mahasangh.
Bottle gourd was sold between Rs 15 and Rs 20 per kilogram in May. Now, it is sold between Rs 25 and Rs 25 per kilogram. “Similarly, the prices of ladyfinger were Rs 14-20 per kg and now they have gone up to Rs 40-60. Tomatoes that were sold at Rs 12-Rs 15 per kg are now at Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kg,” said a retailer in Jhotwara.