A significant fall in supplies has helped boost vegetable prices across the spectrum. “Price of some of the vegetables has gone up as much as 30 to 40% over a week,” vegetable sellers said. They said the rising trend in vegetable prices had become noticeable since the second week of March.
Ernakulam Market Stall Owners’ Association president N.H. Shameed said the price of vegetables such as French beans, carrot, beetroot and green chilli had appreciated substantially.
Drought-like conditions prevailing in vegetable growing areas in States such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is the key reason for the fall in supplies. Mr. Shameed said arrivals at the Ernakulam market had fallen about 50%. “It is going to be tougher with the rains playing truant over the months,” he said.
Sources in the Kerala State Horticultural Development Corporation said water scarcity in vegetable growing areas was the reason for the fall in supplies. Kerala produces little of French beans and carrot and any change in availability affects the prices of these items.
The price of French beans has gone up to ₹80 a kg in the retail market, while that of all-time favourite vegetable cowpea has gone up to ₹50. The retail price of carrot has gone up to ₹54 a kg from about ₹20 a kg early last month, and that of cabbage has gone up to ₹34 a kg. “The ongoing strike by goods and commodity movers has not seriously hurt the vegetable supplies,” Mr. Shameed said.
In the midst of a general rise in prices, the price of big onions is cool, selling for ₹16 a kg in the retail market.
