Karnataka: Veggie prices drop, lending cheer to Sankranti

BENGALURU: In a welcome news during the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti, vegetable prices — which were northbound for over a month — are gradually dropping and are likely to fall further.
“There was a deficit in growth and supply during the rainy season. Now that the weather has cleared up, vegetables are arriving in the market in adequate quantities, causing prices to drop,” a Hopcoms official said.
The official said the festival phenomenon of vegetable prices spiking has been absent this Sankranti. “In the wake of Covid-19 cases increasing, only a percentage of people are celebrating the festival. When the demand does not go up, the prices remain the same.”
The price of carrot, which was exceptionally high in November and December, touching Rs 190 a kg, dropped to Rs 94 this week. “Most of the carrots sold here are grown in Ooty. Given that Tamil Nadu received a significant amount of rain in October and November, most of the produce was destroyed and so the supply chain was cut, causing the price to shoot up,” the official said.
The price of beans had crossed Rs 100 a kg a month ago, but is now Rs 40-45. Greens were costing Rs 80-90 a bundle, but are now available for Rs 10-15. “Greens perish fast during rain. It’s the same with tomatoes. Now that the weather has stabilised, their prices have come down,” the Hopcoms official said.