After having burnt a hole in the pockets of the common man for over two months, the prices of vegetables in the city have finally started to mellow down. In a major relief to Delhiites, traders and experts have asserted that from now on the prices of these essential commodities are likely to fall, because of the exiting monsoon season and the vegetable produce which has been rather good, both in quantity and quality.
Besides, the decreasing value of Rupee against Dollar also seems to be benefiting the farmers as consumers have now shifted to using only Indian fruits and vegetables against the imported ones, they said. In a major relief to city dwellers, the prices of all vegetables, both in retail and wholesale markets, have fallen by an average of `10 per kg in just a week’s time.
“The rates have started to fall now and it will continue to decline. In 10 days, another drop of `10 per kg can be expected. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, the monsoon season is ending which means uninterrupted supply. Secondly, the produce now has been fairly good, even in quality," said Rajender Sharma, Chairman of Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee.
Moreover, experts have good news for the farmers that the diminishing value of Rupee against Dollar is an added advantage to the nation as it makes the consumers more prone to using the produce made within the nation. Even the expected rise in the price of diesel will hardly have any impact on the value of these essential goods.
"The fall in Rupee is beneficial for us as the people, especially those from upper middle class and higher class, will stop using imported fruits and vegetables. Moreover, the rising cost of diesel will have a negligible impact on the prices of vegetables. Even if diesel prices soar by 20 percent, vegetable prices per kg will only rise by a mere 20 paise as we bring in over ten to twenty thousand kilos in a single truck," said Sharma.
However, according to vegetable sellers in Darya Ganj Sabzi Mandi, though the prices of vegetables have come down in comparison to last week, there is no decrease in the number of customers and quantity of vegetables.
"This is not the first time when prices of vegetables have increased or decreased but it is also true that people have not been affected by the prices that much," said Mohammad Samir, a vegetable seller there.