Bhopal: Veggie prices spike, customers pin hopes on monsoon for relief

BHOPAL: People in Bhopal are eagerly waiting arrival of the rainy season, not only to cool the atmosphere but also in the hope that the arrival of monsoon would bring down the prices of vegetables and fruits as well. Rates of vegetables and fruits have gone through the roof this season. Most of the vegetables are available anywhere between Rs 100 to Rs 150 for a kg.
“All fruits and vegetables are costly. At this point of the season, you usually have mangoes selling reasonably cheap but never in the season so far, its prices dropped below Rs 100 per kg. I am talking of badam variety only. Dussehri or Langda varieties must be costlier but I never saw these varieties in the market so far. Lemon sold for Rs 10 per piece. Now, tomatoes, which were a source of relief through the summer sticking to Rs 30 per kg, are now selling at double that price — Rs 60 per kg. The only hope is that the prices cool down with the arrival of monsoon,” said Braj Kishore Sharma.
Prices of leafy vegetables too have hit the roof. Most of them selling for over Rs 80 per kg. Even modest Lauki (bottle gourd), Kaddu (pumpkin) and brinjals are selling for Rs 60 per kg or even higher. Vegetables like Shimla Mirch (bell pepper), Munga (drum sticks) are selling beyond Rs 100 per kg while beans are being retailed for Rs 150 per kg.
“Why single out vegetables? Everything is costly now. Edible oil is costly and so are pulses. Rates of even atta (wheat flour) have gone up. Vegetables are usually costly during summer but this season, prices are too high,” said Aparajita, who was purchasing vegetables at Bittan Market.
She further said that mangoes are indeed costly this season but Anar (pomegranate) and Seb (apples) too are being sold for more than Rs 200 per kg.
President of Bittan Market Sabji Vyapari Mahasangh, Hariom Khatik, when asked why prices of tomatoes have gone up, said, “During this part of the summer season, arrival of tomatoes from outside diminishes. The tomatoes which come from as far away as Bengaluru or Nasik in Bhopal market, don’t come in sufficient quantities these days, which has jacked up the prices further.”
On the high rate of mangoes, he said that the crop of mangoes this summer has been weak. Therefore, their prices are high.
When asked when the prices of vegetables are expected to come down, he said, “In the next 15 days. Let there be rain, the prices will start coming down but if there is excessive rain, they will again go up in some time.”