Vegetable markets in Capital are witnessing a slump during the ongoing lockdown as growing Covid cases and administrative curbs have kept customers confined to their homes. The prices of potatoes, onions, vegetables and other edibles have fallen over the past week as people avoid the marketplaces due to the fear of getting infected.
The prices of all seasonal vegetables are down due to over less demand and high supply. There is a huge supply of vegetables from Capital’s adjoining areas such as Ratu, Mandar, Pithoria, Kanke and other areas, but the demand is less. The less demand of vegetables has left a cascading effect on farmers.
Due to time restrictions of vegetable markets, farmers are left with no alternative but to sell their produce at throwaway prices. Farmers are forced to sell tomatoes at a price of only two to three rupees per kg.
Manish Kumar Mahato, a farmer from Purio, had cultivated tomato crop on two and a half acres, but suffered a huge loss as he is yet to recover its input cost. Mahto is selling tomatoes at Rs 1 to Rs 3 per kg during lockdown.
Manish Kumar Mahato said normally tomatoes are priced at Rs 10 to 15 per kg, but as there are no traders who can carry it to the market, he is left with no other alternative but to sell the produce at Rs 3 per kilogram in the field. He said, traders are reluctant to buy tomatoes as they are not getting an adequate price, which many times are less than transportation cost and wastage. Sources said that at vegetable market at Brambey near Mandar cucumber is priced at Rs 1 per kg, radish from Rs 3, brinjal Rs 4, cabbage Rs 4, pumpkin at Rs 2 to 3 per kg.
Echoing the views of Mahto, another farmer Basudev Singh of Senha block of Lohardaga district said, “I have grown watermelon in around 3 acres. Generally during summer season watermelon is priced at Rs 20 to 25 per kg at the field and traders happily buy at this rate. But, due to less demand traders are purchasing watermelon at Rs 5 to 6 per kg as in capital it is available at Rs 10 per kg.”
The farmers opine that due to lockdown, supply of vegetables and fruits from Jharkhand to states such as Odisha and Bengal has been affected. Also in the local market demand is less as vegetable major buyers hotels and caterers business has been affected.
Generally, during May/.June the price of seasonal vegetables is high due to marriage season, but the government restrictions on the number of people attending the marriage have affected catering business. Caterers prefer to make different vegetable dishes through seasonal vegetables which lead to high demand, but this year as most of the marriages are cancelled or postponed there is not much demand for vegetables by caterers.