BANGALORE: Did you realise that the food on your table just got costlier? Vegetables, especially the common o' garden ones you use every day — onion, garlic, tomato, potato, lady's finger, capsicum and even ridge gourd — are selling at abnormally high prices in the city. Let alone private shops, even the HOPCOMS outlets are selling them at increased prices owing to limited supplies.

Even fast-growing leafy vegetables such as spinach, methi and dantu (amaranth), which are harvested at regular intervals, entail forking out more than you did just a while ago. Only some vegetables such as radish, cucumber, carrot, beetroot and brinjal are in fairly good supply. The prices of tomatoes, which were selling at Rs. 25 a kg two weeks ago, have stabilised now.

Staples such as onions, potatoes and garlic, which have a longer shelf life, have seen the steepest rise. Though the prices of these vegetables usually come down during this part of the year, it has not happened this time because of low production.

According to officials of the Horticulture Department and the Marketing Division of HOPCOMS, the largest cooperative of vegetable and fruit growers, weather conditions have affected crops. "Both harvesting and transportation of vegetables and fruits have been affected by several factors such as the proposed lorry strike.

The recent verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the related disturbances have also contributed to the price hike," D.M. Subbanna, HOPCOMS Manager (Procurement and Marketing) told The Hindu on Thursday.

Pointing out that it was difficult to understand the reason for low production, Mr. Subbanna hoped that the prices of onions might come down by February-end, when the fresh crop is harvested.

"The rates of garlic have come down on an average by Rs. 5 a kg this month and it is likely to further reduce in the coming weeks. But the rate of lady's finger has touched an unprecedented Rs. 26 a kg. This is unusual and we are unable to understand the trend," he said.

However, prices of several varieties of fruits have declined since they shot up early November, he said. If more supplies arrive in the city over the next two weeks and normal stocks are available with the outlets, prices can be expected to drop further, he said.

Pulses

The rates of pulses too have shot up in the last two months.

While some prices have stabilised now, the prices of urad dal, toor dal and moong dal are still high.

According to H.R. Rajaiah Shetty, who runs a provision store in HVR Layout on Magadi Main Road, the rates are likely to decline in the coming weeks after the fresh crop is harvested.

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