Rise in veggie prices burns holes in pockets of consumers

Jamshedpur: The increasing price of vegetables is burning a hole in the pockets of Steel City residents who are suffering from unemployment, pay cuts and infection risks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Potato, which is considered as the poor man’s staple food and sold at Rs 18 to Rs 20 per kg, costs Rs 35 per kg now while onion, another kitchen essential which cost Rs 20 to Rs 24 per kg, is being sold at Rs 30,” said 43-year-old Santosh Kumar, a staff of a private vendor company who was buying vegetables at the Kadma market.
Similarly, 58-year-old Badal Mahato, a private security agency staff, claimed that none of the vegetables currently available in the market is within the reach of the lower-income group of people.
He said, “Brinjal is being sold at Rs 50 per kg from its earlier cost of 25 per kg and bottle gourd is available at Rs 40 per kg as against its earlier cost of 20 per kg and ridge gourd costs Rs 45 per kg.”
Both Santosh and Badal said at a time when their income is low and irregular, it is getting difficult to buy vegetables regularly or in bulk.
Even financially better-off families have also rued the skyrocketing prices of the vegetables.
“At Rs 80 per kg, tomatoes are steadily getting out of our It earlier cost 40 per kg. Since the past few days, I am buying 500 gm in place of 1kg,” said 34-year-old T Bhaskar, a CRPF jawan.
Prices of carrots and ladies’ finger are also rising and being sold at Rs 60 per kg each. While coriander leaves are available at Rs 40 per 100gm which was earlier Rs 15 to Rs 20, garlic costs Rs 25 to Rs 30 per 100gm and ginger is sold at Rs 25 to Rs 30 per 100gm. Both were available for Rs 18 per 100 gram earlier.
“I have stopped buying vegetables in bulk as I used to do in past,” said B K Singh, a Tata Steel employee.
The traders said heavy monsoon rain and poor transportation across the states have pushed the price of the vegetables north.
Raj Kumar Sah, a wholesale dealer of onions and potatoes, said, “While excessive rain in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh damaged the onion crops resulting in its short supply and increase in price, the cost of potato is increased due to irregular supply from Bengal. When prices of green vegetables increase, consumers tend to move towards potato, leading to its hide demand.”
Retail vegetable vendor Bhakti Das said: “We are avoiding bulk orders of vegetables as daily sales are poor these days.”