Mkts on fire: Tomato, okra & bitter gourd hit a century, green chilli shoots past 300 per kg

Kolkata: The floods in Bengal have set vegetable markets on fire across Kolkata, with prices of several vegetables crossing the century-mark. Consistent rain and floods during the critical seasonal transition period has disrupted supply, driving vegetable prices to record highs and putting household budgets under severe strain less than a fortnight before puja. Even the price of green chillies, a staple in Indian kitchens, has surged past an unprecedented Rs 300 per kg. Heavy rain has inundated vast areas of farmland, damaging standing crops. As a result, retail prices of essential vegetables have surged, with key ones like brinjal, bitter gourd, cucumber, tomato and pointed gourd prices rising significantly over the past week. Better varieties of okra are now priced at Rs 100 per kg, bitter gourd at Rs 120, and tomatoes exceeding Rs 100 in most major markets. Green chillies have become particularly expensive, reaching over Rs 300 in some places. Staples like capsicum and eggplant are also selling at Rs 100 and above, reflecting a broader trend of rising costs in everyday essentials.Price fluctuations were observed across city markets, with Gariahat and Maniktala being more expensive than Lake Market or Janbazar."This year, prices of all essential food items, including vegetables, have stayed consistently high. Now, they are skyrocketing every day," said Snigdha Roy, a schoolteacher. "Our kitchen budget has increased drastically and we are being forced to cut corn-ers. But it becomes a chall-enge when items like potatoes, onions and green chillies become so expensive." Vendors, too, are feeling the pressure. Manik Mondal, a vendor at Behala Market, said: "Prices are so high that we are procuring fewer vegetables to avoid loss."Manik Mondal, a vendor at Behala Market, said: "Vegetables from flooded fields discolour quickly, and we are often forced to sell them at distressed prices."Kamal De, president of the Bengal Vendors' Association and a member of the govt's market task force, said heavy rain at the end of monsoon has flooded farmlands, destroying standing crops. "Additionally, we are in a seasonal transition period between the retreating monsoon and the arrival of winter vegetables, which is typically a lean period. However, flooding has exacerbated the situation, pushing prices through the roof. We hope that winter vegetables will start arriving by the second week of Oct, stabilizing the market."If there is a fresh bout of depression and rain, there will be further crop damage, vegetable prices are expected to continue rising, intensifying the challenges faced by both consumers and farmers in the days to come.