Housewives feel the heat as vegetable prices spurt

MUMBAI: There seems to be no respite for consumers and housewives struggling to balance their household budget in the face of spiralling inflation. Although the prices of grains, pulses and edible oil have eased, the impact has been neutralised by higher vegetable prices.

The prices of most of the vegetables have gone up substantially with the recent rains damaging vegetables and stopping supplies. Though the price of onion and potatoes have been stable that of green vegetables like capsicum, tomatoes, ladiesfinger, French beans have risen between 10% and 50% over the past one month.

The price of grains such as rice and wheat are stable now and may fall further with arrival of new crops. Even the price of pulses such as moong and urad dal which are already stable may dip further when the new crop arrives.

According to Mumbai APMC wholesale vegetable market president Usman Sayyed earlier there were no rains which led to continuous supply of vegetables keeping the prices low. However, the rains in the past few days have damaged vegetables. This has reduced supplies and scaled up prices. It is now expected that prices will decline from September and October when the new crop arrives.

French bean, capsicum, ladiesfinger and carrots surged to Rs 30-32 per kg from Rs 24-28 a month ago. Coriander, which was being sold at Rs 10 a bunch is now being sold at Rs 40-50. Even the price of brinjal has gone up to Rs 24-28 per kg from Rs 16-20.

Mr Usman, however, said that prices will not decline sharply. ���If prices start falling here farmers and traders divert their vegetables to other states like Gujarat, UP, Delhi where they can get good prices,��� he said.

Even in other states such as UP and Delhi, the prices of green vegetables are up. According to Surendra Kumar Kohli, president of vegetable association in Delhi, prices were up due to steep fall in supply due to heavy rains. He added that prices of a few vegetables have started to come down.