Tomato, onion see up to 100% rise
Rain deficiency in western parts of the country and floods in the east and north-east have attributed to steep hike in the vegetable prices across the country. Tomato and onion prices have seen a sharp spike.
Sold at throwaway prices till a few weeks ago, tomato is fast going out of the reach of common man as its prices in the retail market has shot up from `20-30 per kg to `50-60. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and southern States across the country are main supply source of tomatoes and rain has hit transportation from these regions.
The price of onions is also on the rise. The retail rate for onion has doubled from `20 to `30-40 a kg in the past 15 days despite buffer stock created by the Ministry of Consumers Affairs. Prices of cabbage, cauliflower, potato, coriander leaves, green chilli, bitter gourd, and brinjal too have seen a sharp spike during monsoon due to short supply.
Consumers will have no respite from high prices till widespread monsoon rainfall resumes across major producing regions. In Delhi and NCR, vegetables have become costlier as supply from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was affected on heavy rain and flooding in these two States, respectively. Taking note of rising prices of tomato, the Centre on Friday directed Mother Dairy to sell it at `40 a kg from its Delhi outlet.
“Due to rain, the supply often gets disrupted. The prices are likely to rise with monsoon season,” said Rajendra Sharma, a wholesale vendor at Azadpur Mandi, Asia’s largest fruits and vegetable wholesale market.
“The supply has been dropped due to heavy rain and floods. Vegetable demand is going to pick up during the coming month,” Sharma added.
The major tomato and onion producing States Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra account for 91 per cent of the total production of the country. Due to less rain in some places and floods in other places, the supply has been affected. Besides, drought like situation has damaged the tomato crops in the producing States.
Sources in the Union Agriculture Ministry said farmers were hesitant to start sowing of vegetables this season, amid fear of low yield due to erratic monsoon. Some had lost the entire crop in parts of Maharashtra last year, due to rain deficiency. In other parts, crop failure was 50-60 per cent.
As per data collected by The Pioneer from metro cities, the retail price of vegetables is similar in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Chennai and Bangalore. The retail rate of potatoes varies from `25-40 depending on variety and the area.
The monsoon is affecting green vegetables as well. Average cost of beans was `40 per kg in wholesale, however, it is being sold at `80-90 per kg in retail. Lady finger and bitter gourd are being sold in the retail market for `70-80 per kg.
The price of cauliflower is at `50 a kg while the rate of coriander leave is `150 a kg. Green onion’s rate is hovering around `50-60 a kg. Ridge gourd is being sold at `50 a kg. The retail price of one piece of pumpkin has also crossed `50.
Binod Pandey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rashtriya Kisan Progressive Association (RKPA), an association of 150 farmers’ organisations, said consumers are unlikely to get respite from high vegetable prices for over a month. “Farmers who have sown seed with the onset of the monsoon will get the first output in the next 45 days. Hence, supply is going to boost only in 30-45 days,” Pandey added.
“The Delhi Government has also been asked to exhort traders and logistic providers to increase the supply of tomatoes to the mandis to ensure immediate control of price rise,” the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
Mother Dairy sells fruits and vegetables in about 100 Safal outlets in the Delhi-NCR region.
Data compiled by the India Meteorological Department showed 18 per cent deficiency in cumulative rainfall during the period between June 1 and July 19.
