Vegetable prices zoom up

By Suresh Krishnamoorthy

HYDERABAD, NOV. 27. A sharp drop in arrival of vegetables from outside markets and the preference of growers in the city's suburbs to take their produce to other markets for a better price has resulted in vegetables becoming dearer in the City.

Most significant has been the hike seen in onion price. While wholesalers are dealing at around Rs. 10 to Rs. 12 a kilo, the retail price has been fluctuating between Rs. 12 and Rs. 16 a kilo. The quality of onions too has been disappointing to many a housewife. Only the small ones are available in the market now.

When contacted, Mr. S.P. Singh, Commissioner of Civil Supplies, said that owing to the recent floods in Kurnool district, onions' arrival had been affected, resulting in shooting up of their price. However, more than 210 lorry loads of onion had arrived in the past few days from adjoining Karnataka and Maharashtra.

``This is only a period of fluctuation. The kharif crop in Karnataka is getting ready and we are sure things will stabilise in a few days. Otherwise too, we are ready to intervene in the market should the need arise. We shall require only 12 hours to get stocks and tide over any crisis that may arise,'' he said.

Wholesalers say that while arrivals in general, especially from Maharashtra and Karnataka, have registered a drop, growers in the State too have been selling their produce both in other markets in the State and outside too. The price of tomatoes too has gone up. While the local variety sells at Rs. 15, the Bangalore tomatoes sell at Rs. 12 a kilo.

``How can the prices of vegetables like onions and tomatoes go up like this,'' wonders Mrs. Saraswathi, a housewife. Beans has been the costliest with the price of the local variety going up to Rs. 20 last week. However, the arrival of stock from Bangalore made the price come down and is now steady at Rs. 12.

Ladiesfinger too has seen the upper side. ``Most of the local production is going out and we are forced to sell what we get at between Rs. 16 and Rs. 20,'' says Mr. Anjaiah, an office-bearer of the a retailer's association. In the absence of local produce, potatoes have to come from Maharashtra and cost Rs. 12 a kilo.

With the price of many of the vegetables shooting up, the only ones that can be considered cheap are the Bangalore brinjal and carrots. While the former comes at Rs. 4 a kilo, the latter is available at Rs. 8 a kilo.

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