Fuel price hike makes veggies costlier in city

PUNE: The rise in petrol prices and consequent increase in production and transportation costs are pushing the vegetable prices up in the city, affecting the monthly budget of families.
Following the good rainfall this year, it was expected that vegetable prices would come down. But, with growing demands from hotels and canteens, the major consumers of vegetables, supply of vegetables in the retail market has shrunk, said Shivalal Bhosale, chairman of the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Commission Agents Association.
“Villages near Pune were major suppliers of vegetables. In the last few years, the land has been converted for non-agricultural activities, shifting vegetable farms further away from the city. This resulted in an increase in transportation costs, leading to further rise in vegetables prices. Such continuous price rises are affecting the monthly budget of people,” Bhosale said.
Vilas Bhujbal, former chairman of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee, said: “Moderation of vegetable prices generally starts from September and continues till January. Current prices of vegetables are almost 50% higher than they should be. Normally, leafy vegetables like fenugreek and spinach are available at Rs 10 per bunch around this time, but their prices are much higher now. Items like fruits are also being sold at higher prices.”
Hemant Sardesai, a resident of Bhandarkar Road said, “There is a sharp rise in vegetables prices in the last couple of months. We are helpless and have to accept the situation. But it is very difficult to manage the monthly budget.”
Prasad Bhondwe, a vegetable vendor at Deccan Gymkhana, said: “The price rise has led to a change in the buying pattern of my customers. People who used to buy certain vegetables irrespective of their prices nowadays prefer cheaper ones.”
Mahadev Chavan, plant in charge in a construction company, said: “The rates at which domestic goods are sold are not affordable. Fuel prices go up at regular intervals, leading to increase in prices of goods because of rise in transportation costs. Inflation has affected monthly savings of families.”