Vegetables become dearer

By Suresh Krishnamoorthy

HYDERABAD, JUNE 27. Vegetables have suddenly become dearer in the city, sending the house-hold budgets into a tizzy. Housewives are the harassed lot, faced as they are with the delicate task of performing the balancing act.

Prices of almost all vegetables have sky-rocketed, specially in the past two weeks. This is attributed to the slow-down in the arrival of vegetable trucks in the `mandis'. The city gets the bulk of its vegetable requirement from Maharashtra and Karnataka.

A visit to the "Hissamganj" Monda Market reveals that there is a sharp fall in the number of vegetable trucks arriving in the market, leading to price spiral. On Wednesday, there were less than half-a-dozen trucks.

According to Mr. Soma Devender Reddy, president of the Secunderabad Vegetable Commission Agents Association and the Twin Cities Vegetable Commission Agents Association, the police had made the approach to the market a one-way street, forcing many a lorry driver to stay off. Those who dare to come are fined heavily - upto Rs. 1,600 in some cases.

This deters lorry drivers from other States to come to Hyderabad, it is said. Drivers wonder how else they should reach the market and unload the produce if the police deter them. As far as the police is concerned, it is a one-way and hence they are empowered to fine the lorries.

Talk to anyone coming to the market and they crib about the price increase, especially the retail prices. The wholesalers are a happy lot though and the retailers in turn get their margins from individual buyers.

The wholesale prices of some vegetables at present are as follows: cabbage - Rs. 5 per kilo, carrot - Rs. 10 to Rs. 12, beans - Rs. 8, potato - Rs. 7.50, tomato - Rs. 15, ladies finger - Rs. 17, bitter gourd - Rs. 15, brinjal - Rs. 5 and midget gourd (dondakaya) - Rs. 20. Ironically, the price of the smaller variety of onion (which South Indians prefer for preparing sambar) has come down because of better availability.

If the wholesale prices do not sound very expensive, there is a whale of a difference between the wholesale and the retail prices. The retail price depends upon the freshness of the stock and the availability and there is no way one can bargain. Many of the retailers complain of the loss they suffer when they grade the vegetables.

Mrs. Lalitha, a housewife, says, "I have never paid Rs. 20 for a kilo of tomato", even as the tomato seller Venugopal throws up his hand in helplessness. Likewise, Mrs. Girija appears horrified that she has to shell down Rs. 12 per kilo of potato.

It is a year since the new market at Hashmathpet near Bowenpally is ready and yet for some inexplicable reason, the go- ahead signal for shifting is not given, although the traders are ready to move. Traders feel that once the market is shifted, there will be better availability of vegetables and hence prices will come down.

The fresh produce is expected to hit the market by the next month. And till then consumers have little choice but to pay through their nose.

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