Yo-yo weather pushes up vegetable prices in West Bengal

KOLKATA: Vegetable prices have shot up by 40%-100% in the past 10 days following a demand-supply gap due to unpredictable weather conditions.
Vegetable production has been hit by recent hailstorms in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and parts of Hooghly. Fears of further crop damage if cyclone Mocha heads towards Bengal has led to many farmers prematurely going in for a harvest.
This resultant price surge has impacted the budgets of many households, with the rising cost of commodities causing a great deal of economic stress.
Although the rain initially provided hope for relief, it turned out to be a disaster for vegetable production.
The sudden dip in temperature after a long spell of heatwave, combined with the hailstorms, has caused significant damage to crops, particularly affecting crucial vegetables like eggplants, bitter gourd, ridged gourd, and pointed gourd.
"Moreover, the storms blew away the flowers of some crucial vegetables like eggplants, bitter gourd, ridged gourd, and pointed gourd," said Kamal De, president, Bengal Vegetable Vendors' Association.
Farmers and wholesalers are already trying to mitigate the losses expected from the imminent cyclonic storm Mocha by increasing vegetable prices. In the past, cyclonic storms have caused widespread damage to vegetable farmlands, leading to long-term losses and recovery periods.
"We expected the prices of summer vegetables to dip. But for a reason one or another, we have no respite from rising prices of commodities. The kitchen budget goes haywire impacting our household economy adversely. We, probably, have already started paying the price for climate change," said Anirudhha Maity, a college teacher.
As a result of the demand-supply gap and rising prices, vegetable retailers like Dilip Mondal have resorted to buying vegetables at exorbitant prices and in lesser quantities, leading to a drop in quality and difficulty in selling discoloured vegetables of the previous day.
"If the cyclone eventually hits Bengal, the impact on the quality and prices of vegetables will be adverse. From our experiences of recent cyclonic storms, we know how production dips and prices skyrocket putting consumers in real trouble," he added.
Overall, the uncertain weather conditions continue to take a toll on the vegetable production across Bengal, affecting both farmers and consumers.