The prices of tomatoes, green chillies and carrot have burnt drilled a hole in the pocket of common man in the past few days.
Tomatoes were sold at ₹90 to ₹100 a kg at groceries across the State while the rate at Rytu Bazars was ₹75 a kg but it was all over there in a jiffy. The rate of green chillies was ₹80 a kg and carrot ₹60 a kg in retail market.
There was, however, something to cheer for consumers when they went to market as all dals registered a steep decline in prices over last year.
The Directorate of Economics and Statistics attributed the decline to higher production because the cropped area of pulses went up. The pulses production in 2016-17 was estimated at 5.29 lakh tonnes which was 2.82 lakh tonnes more than the previous year.
Agriculture Production Commissioner C. Parthasarathi told The Hindu that the hike in prices of tomatoes and green chillies was a regular phenomenon at this time of the year because they were cultivated in high temperatures from April to mid-June, which led to poor yield. Hence, it was decided on Monday to invest ₹10 crore on ‘shade nets’ where they would be grown next year. He dismissed carrot as of no use to the common man.
Telangana was largely dependent on purchase of tomatoes from Madanapalle in Chittoor district and Chintamani and Kolar in Karnataka from June to August. As the crop in Karnataka and Maharashtra was also damaged this year due to rains, the stock of Madanapalle was diverted to those States, said G. Lakshmi Bai, Director, Agricultural Marketing.
She expected heavy arrivals at Bowenpally market yard here which is the main source of vegetable supply in October as fresh sowings have just started. But, the present rate of tomatoes would continue for at least a fortnight.
The price of tomatoes went up steadily from ₹30 a kg last month. The hike was ₹20 in the last two days.
