Pune: Veggies costly, pulse prices also soar ahead of festivals

PUNE: The coming festive season may be subdued in nature because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the kitchen staples during the period are likely to burn a hole in your pocket.
Prices of vegetables are already high with onions costing Rs50 a kg, while retail prices of pulses have recently registered a steep spike. There’s been a Rs30 increase in tur dal price in the last 15 days, with the staple crossing the Rs100 per kg mark in retail markets (see box). Retail price of’ mung dal has also crossed the Rs100 per kg mark, from Rs96 a few days ago to Rs106.
Dhaval Shah, director of Jairaj Group in the Gultekdi wholesale market, told TOI, “The festive season is likely to create a further spike in pulse prices. Heavy rainfall in parts of Maharashtra, such as Latur, Jalgaon and Akola, as well as several places in Karnataka are one reason for the shortage in pulses and the consequent price rise. Also, there is a huge demand for protein-rich foods like pulses because of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said, “The demand for pulses has increased by about 30-40% in the past few months. The rise in ‘tur dal’ prices has been especially steep. The price increase is generally about Rs10-15 per kg. This time around, it has increased by Rs30 in the wholesale as well as retail markets. Prices of other pulses have gone up too in the face of an increased demand for pulses and a shortage of about 20-25% as per rough estimates.”
Shortage in chana dal is being experienced since more than a month now.The variety of the pulse has seen massive consumption during the past few months, especially from households as well as due to food donation kits distributed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ambemohar rice prices are also high with the wholesale rate rising to Rs85-95 per kg, as against the earlier Rs45-55/kg.
Hanuman Unecha, a retailer in Gokhalenagar, said, “Prices of gram flour have gone up in the face of chana dal rate rise. A kg of gram flour now costs Rs90 in the retail market, as against Rs80 a fortnight ago. With the festivals coming up, we do not expect a fall in pulse prices. In fact, the prices may further increase. Also, the current shortage can be attributed to the demand from restaurants increasing with the government allowing dine-in services.”