Kolkata: Vegetable prices go through roof as rain hits supply

KOLKATA: After a brief respite, vegetable prices are again on an upswing across city retail markets, with a yawning demand-supply gap because of massive damage to standing crops. On Thursday, most vegetables were costlier by Rs 20-Rs 30 a kg compared to what they were at the beginning of the week when the supply line was robust despite heavy rain.
"The supply was largely being sustained by harvested crops. But after the torrential rain, farmers have found about 80% of crops in south Bengal badly damaged, creating a supply line issue," said Kamal De, president, Bengal Vendors' Association.

The supply line might be hit further if the rain resumes from Sunday. "Most farmers are making distress sales of their produce from the fields. Some of these are being brought to the city and are being sold at a premium," said De.
"Prices of vegetables are again high; the price of LPG is at an all-time high as well; prices of mustard oil and spices have kept soaring without interruption. The kitchen budget is literally on fire. Coming to the market is no more a pleasure, but a nightmare. We inevitably burn a big hole in our pocket," said Anirban Guha, a private insurance company employee.
"The quality of the produce is not really good either. Some of the vegetables hitt-ing the markets were retrieved from inundated fields. They cannot be stored for long," said Tarun Das, a retailer at Jadubabur Bazar in Bhowanipore.
"Vegetables like parwal (pointed gourd) and bitter gourd, which were selling at Rs 35-Rs 40, are now selling at Rs 70 and Rs 60 a kg respectively. Parwal is one vegetable that has been hit hard by rain," said Gour Saha, a wholesaler at Kidderpore Market.
"Vast stretches of farm land in Baruipur, Canning, Bongaon, Basirhat, Arambagh and Dankuni, from where we get supply of vegetables to our wholesale and retail markets, are still under water. The vegetables are rotting in the fields. The unusually heavy rain in a very short span of time has taken a huge toll on the standing crops," said Gautam Sinha, a wholesaler at Jinjira Bazar.