While the severe inflation has made it difficult for the poor, middle class families to live. At the same time, the budget of the housewives has gone awry due to the skyrocketing prices of vegetables needed to fill the stomach. Vegetable prices are skyrocketing due to low production and heavy rains washing away crops.
After selling tomato at Rs 120 per kg and ginger at Rs 200 per kg, now the prices of green onions, coriander, okra, choli, flowers are beyond the purchasing power of poor, middle class housewives. The prices of vegetables have doubled to tripled in a single month.
Gilole prices were 160 to 180 per 20 kg at Surat APMC on 4 June and increased to 600 to 620 on 4 July. The price of green onion was Rs 300-400 a month ago, it has increased to Rs 600-700.
Coriander is the most expensive. Coriander, which was available at Rs 200-300 per kg, has directly reached Rs 900-1000. Bhindi, which was available for Rs 200-300, is now available for Rs 800 to 1000 for 20 kg. The price of 20 kg choli was 400-420, in a month it has increased from 1000 to 1100.
The price of Cauliflower has doubled from 180 to 200 a month ago and has reached 400 to 500. The prices of guar, mint, chilli and cabbage have increased from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per 20 kg. In the retail vegetable market, the prices of most vegetables have gone up to Rs 100 or more. In Surat APMC, where the wholesale price of 20 kg has increased by two to three times, in the retail vegetable market these prices have increased five times and crossed the century mark.
Farmers do not re-crop vegetables in the season when prices are low: Babubhai Sheikh
Surat APMC director Babubhai Shaikh says that apart from low production of vegetables in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka, the prices of vegetables have increased due to heavy rains washing away crops in the fields. Another reason for the increase in the prices of vegetables is that in the last season, farmers did not get remunerative prices for tomatoes and ginger, so they took other vegetable crops this season. At the same time, due to heavy rains for several days, the fields have been waterlogged and a large amount of vegetables have been spoiled. The farmer who does not get the price of vegetables in any season, he changes the produce in the second season. As a result, prices also increase.
