The price of a few vegetables are already spiralling in the wholesale market ahead of peak summer this year. Lack of rains in the State is cited as one of the reasons for the rise in price.
Traders in the Koyambedu wholesale market say that normally the cost of vegetables begins to escalate by April or May. But this year, residents are already feeling the pinch as they have to shell out at least 10% more to buy their favourite vegetables.
Arrivals down
The city is receiving lesser than usual truck loads of some vegetables. Beans and broad beans, which were priced at ₹30 a kg last month, now sell up to ₹50 a kg in the wholesale market. Similarly, the cost of drumsticks has also doubled and is now priced at ₹40 per kg.
P. Sukumar, joint secretary, Koyambedu Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers Merchants Welfare Association, said unseasonal rains in Karnataka also led to shortage of a few vegetables in the city. Carrots are now priced at ₹30 a kg in the wholesale market and customers have to shell out nearly ₹50 a kg at the retail stores.
Customers may have some relief as the prices of common vegetables have fallen slightly. Tomato, which was priced at ₹35 a kg at Koyambedu until a few days ago, is now sold for ₹25 a kg. Its retail price too has dipped to ₹35 a kg, he said.
Some of the other reasonably priced vegetables include onions, potatoes and brinjals as the market is getting an additional load of 10 trucks daily. Good yields of onions in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have kept the wholesale price of a kg of onions below ₹10.
However, traders expect the price of most vegetables to increase by 20-30% in April owing to shortage.
