The prices onions, tomatoes and other vegetables are continuing to increase in Dehradun and other districts of Uttarakhand. The prices which had started soaring in October are probably at their peak due to which their consumption has decreased.
Apart from general vegetables the Dehradun city has also witnessed a rise in the prices of green vegetables like spinach and mustard greens (Rai). However, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) of Dehradun has claimed that the prices will get back to normal by the end of this week. In the local market these days, the vendors are selling onions for Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg and tomatoes in the range of Rs 80 -120 per kg. According to a housewife Upasana Naithani, "Tomatoes are expensive than petrol in our city. How poor families will survive if such basic vegetables will be sold at such skyrocketing prices? I have observed the vendors are selling vegetables at different prices in different areas as per their wishes. I recently bought tomatoes for Rs 70 per kg from a vendor near my home in Karnpur and my daughter bought the same for Rs 120 from EC Road on the same day.
A 50 rupees difference on daily basis becomes a budget disrupting element for the middle class and poor families." However, the vendors opined that they are also getting the vegetable supplies at higher prices from the wholesale markets. "We are not selling overpriced vegetables.
We are also getting them at hiked prices. We only charge extra for the labour we put in to sell them. When the prices will get lower in the wholesale market, prices will drop in the local markets too," said a local vegetable vendor in Raipur Road, Durga Singh.
Talking about the consistent spike in the prices of vegetables, APMC secretary Vijay Thapliyal said that the spike in prices is due to heavy rain in southern areas of the country from where onion and tomatoes are mainly transported.
He said that local supply was also limited here which led to the hike in the prices of some vegetables. "The local supply has started and the supply from other states will be regular too by this weekend.
