It’s not just tomato but the prices of almost all vegetables have soared, making it difficult for the common man to make ends meet.
Currently, tomatoes are sold at ₹70 a kg while most other vegetables cost not less than ₹40.
The government, however, blames it on heavy rains that lashed the State. The steep price rise is mainly attributed to crop damage due to rain/flood in several areas.
A cursory look at the prices in the last three months indicates that there has been a more than 100% increase in rates since September. On September 25, a basket of 16 varieties of vegetables had cost ₹375. The price went up to ₹469 per 12 varieties on October 25 and stands at ₹755 on November 25. “There is a more than 100% increase in prices,” says an official who didn’t want to be quoted.
During the period, the price of a kg of brinjal shot up to ₹44 from ₹16, lady’s finger to ₹48 from ₹12 and Maharashtra onion variety to ₹35 from ₹25 and Kurnool variety to ₹28 from ₹20 per kg. Ridge gourd price went up from ₹20 a kg on September 25 to ₹30 on October 25 and ₹45 on November 25.
The rates of other vegetables like cabbage, potato, ivy gourd, bitter gourd and cucumber continued to soar since September, causing a dent in the budget of homemakers.
Says Rama Tulasi, a housewife, “The kitchen expenditure has increased drastically due to the rise in vegetable prices and it is getting very difficult to manage.”
The price spiral has kept buyers away from the usually crowded Rythu Bazaars. “The footfall has drastically fallen. Primarily, it is due to rising prices. The inflation is more than 60%,” says an Estate Officer of a Rythu Bazaar in the city.
If vegetable vendors are to be believed, then the prices of veggies will remain high for another month and may go up further if there is another spell of rain.
