Vegetable prices in the city have soared owing to poor rainfall last month and late arrival of loads from other states and districts. While rates of common vegetables and tubers including tomatoes and potatoes increased by 50% in supermarkets in the city, rythu bazaars too witnessed a 30% hike in prices.
On Monday, tomatoes price in a Punjagutta-based hypermart was at ₹70 per kilo, while the corresponding price at rythu bazaar was ₹ 60 per kilo. The price of tomatoes in the last week of July was ₹50 per kilo. Similarly, baby potato was priced at ₹45 per kilo whereas it was ₹30 per kilo for the regular variety.
Vegetables including ladies fingers and beans were very costly on Monday, with the former priced at ₹ 69 per kilo and the latter ₹ 112 per kg. Onion price, however, was at a constant of ₹30 per kilo in supermarkets and rythu bazaars.
The weekly budget of most households have gone up, thanks to the price rise even as families tried to minimise spending. “In July, there was a sudden price rise which dipped marginally in the last week. But again in August, prices have gone up with essential vegetables costing more than their prices in July,” said Venkat Reddy, a resident of Rethibowli, who came to shop at rythu bazaar in Mehdipatnam.
Homemakers who manage the household budget said that they have had to make do with lesser vegetables to balance out. “We end up buying more tubers than fresh greens. It causes inconvenience to ageing parents who need vegetables more than protein rich tubers,” said Vanaja Laxmi of New Mallepalli Colony.
Farmers, who brought their produce to the rythu bazar, however, said that their returns declined with consumers buying less than usual.
“There is a shortage of tomatoes and beans due to poor rains. And then with rains, transportation and storage became a problem,” said N. Nagamani, a vegetable seller in Mehdipatnam.
Due to fall in prices at the procurement end, several farmers had to dump their produce including rich harvest of tomatoes last month, she said.
As the month progresses, the prices are expected to dip as more produce will come from other states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, agriculturists predicted.
“Usually the month of August is when the prices dip with fresh harvest coming in. It has not happened so far but soon there will be a fall,” said Sarampally Mallareddy from Communist Party of India’s farmers collective.
