With three to four times rise in prices, Rythu Bazaars across the city still proved to be the haven for vegetable buyers who thronged the markets like there is no tomorrow, here on Monday.
Outside the Rythu Bazaar, veggie prices competed with chicken price, which has meanwhile recovered to ₹ 150 per kilogram from the earlier ₹80 to ₹100 per kg., thanks to the unusual demand.
Despite the lock down and restrictions on the number of persons who can go out from each household, people travelled in twos and threes to the markets, and purchased with the intent of hoarding for the next 10 days. At a few Rythu Bazaars, buyers were not allowed to enter without masks, and a few more supplied hand sanitisers to all who entered the markets.
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“We have been working since 5 a.m., fielding enquiries from farmers, higher officials and customers. The crowd was mind boggling when I came to market. I had to push myself through to reach my office. Any number of appeals would not deter people from panic buying,” said an Estate Officer of a renowned Rythu Bazaar in the city. The officer attributed the high prices at Rythu Bazaars to Janata Curfew on Sunday, when vegetables could not reach markets.
As per the price table at the market, tomatoes, which were sold at throw away price of ₹9 per kg. till March 21, cost ₹40 per kg. on Monday. Green chillis, which were available for ₹25 per kg. cost a whopping ₹90 per kg. Price of cabbage which hovered at ₹7 per kg. a few days ago, spiralled up to ₹15 per kg. as per the boards put up at Rythu Bazaars, while the vendors sold each cabbage at up to ₹30 apiece irrespective of the weight. Bitter gourd which bore a price of ₹13 per kg. on Friday, was much pricier at ₹50 a kg. on Monday.
Beans cost ₹90 per kg., carrot ₹55, lady fingers, capsicum and ridge gourd ₹44, brinjal ₹38, and potato ₹33 per kg., all indicating drastic rise in prices. This high were the prices fixed by the government for Rythu Bazaars, but they were much lower than the prices outside. Traders everywhere took advantage of the customers’ anxiety and jacked up the prices unimaginably high. “I bought green chillis at ₹120 per kg. near a market in Vanasthalipuram. Lady fingers were ₹85 per kg. At this rate, commoners cannot survive this lockdown. Government should take up the responsibility of supplying vegetables at affordable prices by organising mobile markets in all colonies, and also should fix a limit on the quantity carried by each person every day. Otherwise, poor and the aged will have to bear the brunt of this situation,” said Ram Kumar, a 60-year old buyer.
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