Floods in States like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan have left the prices of vegetables, particularly of onion, surging in the mountainous State. The price of onion keeps spiraling from the earlier `20 per kg to `50 per kg in the retail markets.
This is happening because of the dwindling supply to the main Haldwani mandi from the major supplier States like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Earlier, about five to six trucks laden with onion used to come to Haldwani mandi from these states. Now, only one such truck is coming, spawning the dwindling supply, said the traders based in Haldwani mandi.
With onion being available at about `3300 per quintal at the Haldwani mandi, the prices of the same in the open market has gone up to `50 a kg.
Things remaining uncertain, people are storing onions, aggravating the scarcity further. The traders say that the upward price trend of the vegetables would continue for the coming days.
Similarly, tomato which was being sold for `10 to `20 a kg till recently is now being sold for `35 to `40 a kg in the retail market.
The prices of the French bean have gone up to `60 per kg from `20 per kg. Further, the price of the common vegetables like potato is also on the rise. Earlier, it was sold for around `10 a kg and now the price is `20 a kg in the retail markets. The same upward trend is discernible involving some other vegetables like cabbage, bottle gourd, bitter-gourd, capsicum and the like.
This trend is similar with fruits too. Mangoes which were being sold on an average at `30 a kg till recently are now `50 to `60 a kg in the open retail markets.
The prices of apples have doubled to `100 a kg from the previous `50 a kg.
The market watchers here are of the view that if the weather conditions remain the same it is highly likely that prices of vegetables and fruits would spiral, burning holes in the people’s pockets.