The Tricity region, comprising Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali, is facing a significant surge in vegetable prices, causing distress among consumers. Over the past few weeks, essential vegetables like tomatoes, ladies’ fingers, and cauliflower have witnessed dramatic price hikes. Tomatoes, for instance, have soared from Rs 50 per kg to Rs 80-90 per kg within a fortnight, reflecting a steep increase. Similarly, ladies’ fingers, priced at Rs 30 per kg a month ago, are now selling for Rs 80 per kg.
Other vegetables such as bottle gourd and pumpkin have also seen substantial price rises, now ranging between Rs 60-80 per kg compared to Rs 30 per kg and Rs 20 per kg respectively a month ago. Cauliflower and capsicum are commanding even higher prices, with cauliflower reaching Rs 100 per kg from Rs 40 per kg and capsicum doubling from Rs 60 per kg to Rs 120 per kg in the same period.
The escalation in prices isn’t limited to vegetables alone; ginger has skyrocketed to Rs 250 per kg from Rs 80 per kg, and garlic has risen to Rs 160 per kg from Rs 100 per kg previously. Onions have tripled in price to Rs 60 per kg, up from Rs 20 per kg, while potatoes have doubled from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 50 per kg.
President of the Small Vegetable Sellers’ Association, Mohammad Idrish, attributed the price surge to adverse weather conditions in hilly regions and other states, which have disrupted supplies. “Due to heavy rainfall in areas like the hills, Nasik, and Bangalore, vegetable prices have surged drastically,” he stated.
Farmers in the Muradabad region also pointed out that heavy rains had severely damaged tomato crops, a significant cash crop for the area. “Tomatoes are rotting in waterlogged fields, prompting farmers to uproot the crops prematurely,” explained a local farmer. The impact of this damage is expected to affect supplies to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi NCR, and Haryana.
The tomato season, which typically begins in June in Solan, sees produce from irrigated areas entering the market until November. Known for its quality, tomatoes from Solan district fetch premium prices in markets across Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
As consumers brace for continued high prices amid supply challenges, stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation, hoping for improvements as weather conditions stabilize.
Related topics: