Prices of vegetables soar in Jamshedpur

JAMSHEDPUR: Prices of vegetables have sky-rocketed in Steel City markets in the last one week or so.
For instance, tomatoes were being sold at Rs 80 per kg in most markets here on Friday.
Vegetable sellers at Sakchi market told TOI that local supply of tomatoes from Patamda, Ranchi or even from neighbouring Chhattisgarh has almost dried up in the last few days, leading to a gap in demand and supply and resulting in the rise in prices.
Ram Yadav, a vegetable seller, blamed the surge in fuel prices for the rise in prices of vegetables. He said that it was natural for vegetables to become costlier during the monsoon months, but the rise this year was unprecedented. Yadav said that owing to the drop in local supply of tomatoes, the vegetable was being sourced from Karnataka.
Pointed gourd, which was being sold at Rs 10 per kg a week ago, fetched Rs 30 a kg in most markets here on Friday. Whereas the price of coriander leaves have risen from Rs 30 per kg to Rs 100 per kg during the same period.
Meanwhile, some trucks have gone off roads owing to the rise in diesel prices. Many transporters are also facing the crunch of workers, who are required to load and unload goods. All this has impacted the prices, market experts said.
The sudden rise in vegetable prices has upset budget in many households. Purabi Chakraborty, a resident of Bistupur, said, “I am buying less vegetables as prices have shot up beyond imagination.” Manisha Sinha, a banker, said, “Last month, prices of chicken and fish had gone up and now vegetable prices have zoomed.” She added, “Most private employees have suffered pay cuts because of the lockdown, many have also lost their jobs. Therefore, the rise in prices of commodities will act as a double whammy for the salaried middle class. As it is, they don’t get enough support from the government.” Manisha was referring to the recent announcement of the prime minister extending free foodgrains scheme for the underprivileged till November.