The skyrocketing retail prices of vegetables in the last few weeks are giving hard time to consumers in Delhi. The prices of vegetables like onion, cauliflower, cucumber, tomatoes, beans, peas and capsicum have increased manifold.
Experts attributed the rise to rain and irregularities in the margin kept by the retail vegetable sellers. Heavy rain in several parts of the country has hit the supply of vegetables to Delhi-NCR. The Associated Chamber of commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in its Press release said the prices in Delhi’s wholesale markets have gone up by nearly 35 to 40 per cent over a month.
Potato is being sold in retail market at Rs 20-25 per kg as compared to Rs 10 per kg till June. Similarly lady finger is being sold at Rs 50 per kg while it was Rs 20 per kg one month back. Tomato prices also increased from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 40 per kg. The onion rate also increased from Rs 10 to 20 per kg. Brinjal is also being sold at Rs 40-50 per kg. The rate of bitter gourd is Rs 30-40 per kg. Beans is sold at Rs 70-80 per kg.
“The vegetables that come to Delhi from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are expensive than the vegetables, which are grown locally. If these two States continue to receive heavy rainfall, the prices of vegetables will shoot up,” said a wholesale trader of Azadpur mandi.
Traders at the Azadpur Mandi, Asia’s largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, said crops are not coming out of the fields due to stagnant water in fields. Also, the weather department has predicted similar weather condition for the next few days.
Moreover, it has been observed that retailers are charging very high prices as compared to wholesale prices of the vegetables. The ASSOCHAM findings revealed that the perishable fruits and vegetables will bear the maximum brunt. Traders in Delhi said green or perishable vegetables like cabbage, Okra (bhindi), brinjal, karela and coriander recorded high wholesale rates.
The disparity between Wholesale Price (WSP) and Retail prices for essential vegetables like bhindi (okra), cabbage, karela went up beyond 35-40 per cent from 30 June to 30 July 2016, according to ASSOCHAM recent paper.
Cabbage, which was sold at Rs 20-25 per kg in the wholesale market, touched Rs 35 per kg. Similarly, wholesale price of brinjal varies between Rs 20 and Rs 25 per kg at Azadpur Mandi, said ASSOCHAM report, addinig that vegetables lying in the field are bound to rot due to heavy rain.
The vegetables are not coming out of fields and hence there is a short supply in the market, added the paper. Okra, which were available for Rs 20 to Rs 25 a kg, are now being sold at Rs 35-40 per kg in the market. In some of the localities in the city, vendors quote Rs 50 a kg of Okra.
The prices of beans have increased two-fold in the last few days and reached Rs 55. Carrot also has become expensive and was being sold at Rs 50 a kg. Prices of other vegetables are: Green chilly (Rs 60 per kg); garlic (Rs 52); capsicum (Rs 45) and lemon (Rs 80/kg); ginger (Rs 120); cauliflower (Rs 48) and corriander leavers (Rs 120 a kg).