Since the lockdown, city residents have been dealing with erratic rates of vegetables. During the total lockdown, many vegetable sellers had increased the prices, making the most of the situation, but after relaxations, traders have blamed it on the rains.
For instance, going by the Rythu Bazaar’s website, the price for tomatoes on Sunday was ₹33 per kg as against ₹20 in June. Similarly, price of brinjal on Sunday was ₹35 per kg, almost thrice its June price of ₹13 per kg. The price of chillies too increased from ₹40 to ₹55 per kg.
Dearer on streets
While vendors at Rythu Bazaars sold veggies at little variance with the prescribed rates, street vendors and others sold them at much higher prices. “Every month prices are increasing. Sometimes, it fluctuates every couple of days. Tomatoes were ₹50 per kg. Another thing is that, I got bellpepper (capsicum) for ₹45 per kg from the local vegetable vendor day before yesterday, and today the price was ₹75. Gourds are being sold for up to ₹80,” said Saleem Ahmed, a resident of Banjara Hills.
Vendors opined that the recent rains have led to lesser produce reaching markets. This, they claimed, has led to increase in prices. “Prices of snake gourd and bottle gourd are fluctuating between ₹40 and ₹₹60. French beans cost ₹75 per kg. There is reduction in the volume of goods that is coming from the districts which accounts for the price increase. The quality of some vegetables also has not been consistent in the recent past,” said Mohammed Maqbool, a vegetable seller from Zehra Nagar.
The Marketing department, too, confirmed that the recent spell of rain is contributing to the price rise. A senior assistant from the department said that produce from Mahbubnagar and Rangareddy districts, especially from areas such as Chevella, Vikarabad and Parigi, is lower than normal.
‘Periodic’ hike
Speaking to The Hindu, Director of Agricultural Marketing G. Laxmi Bai said that the price hike is periodic. “While rains are a major factor for increase of prices, this trend is cyclical. The price variance is not much as compared to last year. During the lockdown, prices remained more or less same, and it is only now that they have risen a little,” she said.