Prices of vegetables go through the roof

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, AUG. 14. The prices of vegetables have once again `hit the roof', as they say in marketing lingo. Particularly of worry from the common man's point of view is the price of onion, which has almost doubled during the last one month.

What is the cause for this rise? ``Maal nahi ara, saab,'' says Mahboob, a pushcart vendor in the Secunderabad area. The price of ``pyas'' is ranging between Rs. 6 and Rs. 8 a kg, depending on the quality. This is far better compared to the price a week ago which ranged between Rs. 9 and Rs. 10 a kg. Before your jaw drops in amazement, Syed Mian, a seller in Nampally, stumps you with the statement ``ye kuch nahi saab, is beech me dam baara rupay thak chalegaya tha.''

Another trader, Babu Rao of Sabzi Mandi, attributes the reason for the high price to lack of adequate rain in Maharashtra, which is a major supplier of onion at the national level. ``If it rains heavily, the price is bound to fall as farmers would not like to see their produce rot and lose on the remunerative price,'' he affirms.

The prices are no better in the poor man's markets, touted as rythu bazars. The costliest item among the vegetables is ``bhendi'' selling at Rs. 16 to Rs. 18 a kg. That too they are not of good quality, complains Mr. Nageswar Rao, a regular to the rythu bazar at Mehdipatnam. The average per kg price of almost all vegetables is ranging between Rs. 8 and Rs. 14 a kg in almost all markets in the twin cities.

Whatever be the rate, people are buying them as none can do without vegetables. Perhaps, this is one factor which is making the sellers bold, quoting a higher price and getting it. Since the middle and the lower-middle classes make purchases once a week, preferably on Sundays, they don't mind paying a bit extra for their regular quota, Pandu, a seller at Hissamganj (Monda) Market, comments.

Of course, bulk consumers always manage to strike a bargain from the sellers in the markets of Miralam Mandi, Sabzi Mandi, Gaddiannaram and Monda, where the priceline is almost the same, barring a rupee a kg here and there.

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