Those who prefer large-sized portions of veggies in your their daily diet will now have to pay through their nose as prices of some vegetables have shot up this month, proving to be a dampener for the Varamahalakshmi pooja being celebrated in the city’s houses on Friday.
Among the vegetables likely to burn a hole in your pocket are carrot, capsicum and onion. A kilogram (kg) of carrots at the Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) outlets costed Rs. 65 on Wednesday. While capsicum was pegged at Rs. 60 per kg, onions were priced at an eye-watering Rs. 70 per kg.
A HOPCOMS official attributed the reason for the steep price-hike to monsoon being an ‘off season’ . “Onions that come from Maharashtra have arrived in lesser quantities than usual despite their high demand, while carrots and capsicum are usually expensive this season,” the official said. He, however, added that onion prices were expected to stabilise in a month’s time.
Among fruits, the ‘ellakki’ banana variety is to be avoided unless shelling Rs. 64 per kg is to one’s taste. HOPCOMS officials said there was a reduction in the quantity of bananas transported from Tamil Nadu this year that led to rise in prices.
Customers unhappy
Understandably, the steep prices have left customers unhappy. J. Selvi, a resident of Vasanthnagar, said: “ Prices have gone up so drastically that it has become very difficult for a commoner to purchase them. We have cut down on consumption.”
