Monday, 10 October 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Combination of continued rain, festivals & weddings have resulted in costlier vegetables
Though the prices of vegetables continue to rise in Dehradun, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) said that the prices are expected to subside by Deepawali later this month. The rates of vegetables have skyrocketed in the past three weeks which generally does not happen during this time of year.
The slight increase in the sale prices of certain vegetables in local markets during festival season is not unusual but this time, local vendors are themselves getting vegetables from wholesale vegetable markets at high prices. “The rate of capsicum is between Rs 60 to Rs 68 per kilogramme in Niranjanpur Mandi and I am selling them at Rs 80 per kilogramme. Cauliflower is being sold at Rs 60 per kilogramme in the local market.
The prices of tomatoes go up high during the rains very fast as they tend to get spoiled very fast. They are being sold at Rs 60-65 kilogramme in the local market compared to the price of Rs 45-50 in the Mandi. The high prices of vegetables also affect us and not just consumers. The sale gets low with soaring prices and many times, our vegetables get spoiled and we have to either sell them at prices lower than the rate we actually bought them for or throw them into the trash,” said a local vegetable vendor Ramesh Singh.
Talking about the hike in the prices of vegetables, APMC secretary Vijay Thapliyal said that the heavy rain at this time has played a spoilsport causing a hike in the prices of vegetables. “The rainy season mostly ends during this time of year and new supply arrives from other districts and States. Since many areas are still experiencing rain, the production and supply have been affected while the demand has increased locally during festival and wedding season affecting the prices of many vegetables,” said Thapliyal. However, he added that the situation will get better within two weeks and the prices of vegetables will come down to normal rates by Deepawali.
