The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Prices of vegetables soar

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Sunday, Oct 12, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Prices of vegetables soar

R. Jagadeeswara Rao

Situation may improve after a month, say officials

Demand-supply gap attributed to reduction in net area of cultivation, unseasonal rain
Creation of independent agency to monitor things on day-to-day basis suggested

VISAKHAPATNAM: Prices of most of the vegetables have gone through the roof. As officials concerned have expressed their inability to control the trend till new arrivals, which are likely during the second or third week of November, people have no other option but to put up with it at least for one more month.

Real estate boom that has lead to reduction of net area of vegetable cultivation by about 40 per cent, heavy and unseasonal rain in July and August that resulted in widening the gap between supply and demand and manipulation of price by greedy traders are, according to officials of the Horticulture Department, some of the reasons for the sorry state of affairs.

The trend is prevalent in the entire State and is not confined to any particular area. However, depending on the variety, there is variation in price, say officials of the Revenue Department.

For example, the market price of tomato as on Saturday is Rs. 30 a kg. But, the same is available at Rs.12 to Rs.14 in Chittoor, where tomato is cultivated on a large scale. The quantity of tomato required in the city is 120 quintals a day but the arrival is not more than 40 to 50 quintals.

Crop loss

According to sources, the city gets major requirement of tomato from Bangalore, where there is heavy loss of crop this season. This has led to the steep hike in price. Beans is cultivated in large tracks of Araku and other agency areas in Visakhapatnam district and the market price is Rs.20 to Rs.25 a kg here. But according to officials, the same is being sold at Rs.40 to Rs.50 a kg in Hyderabad.

Whether it is beans (Rs.25 a kg) or brinjal (Rs.30) or angular gourd (Rs.25) or snake gourd (Rs.25), carrot (Rs.40), cauliflower (Rs.30), prices are beyond the reach of the common man.

Officials of the Horticulture Department say that basically they are concerned with production and productivity of crop, providing incentives to continue cultivation of vegetables and educating farmers on modern methods of cultivation and control of prices is not in their hands.

Corpus fund

However, a senior official in the Revenue Department dealing with civil supplies, suggested creation of an independent agency to control prices of vegetables on day-to-day basis. A corpus fund of Rs.100 crores should be set apart. The agency which should be under direct control of the Commissioner of Civil Supplies should be allowed to take independent decisions regarding marketing of vegetables on a day-to-day basis. It can identify major production and consumption spots and can regulate prices. It can rush the required quantity from the place of production to the place of consumption. The agency would help eliminate middlemen, which according to officials, is the root cause of price hike. Creation of a cold storage chain to preserve perishable commodities like tomato is another requirement, officials said. The earlier it is done the better it is for both the farmer and the consumer.

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