Celebrating Ugadi this year is a costly affair

While the prices of staples, like tomato and potato, have remained stable ahead of the festival, the price of beans has seen a hike of ₹7-10 per kg in retail markets

Festive shopping is going to pinch the pockets of consumers this time as the prices of fruits, flowers and vegetables have gone up prior to Ugadi festival on March 22. The rain last week in flower and vegetable growing regions around Bengaluru has added to the steep rise in prices. 

Amongst fruits, the price of the humble banana (yelakki variety) has jumped from ₹22 per kg to ₹45 per kg in the last one week. The prices of orange, watermelon, muskmelon and papaya have gone up by ₹10 per kg over the weekend. Although not spotted much in the market yet, the king of fruits — mango — is selling around ₹200 - 250 per kg this week. 

The price of sevanthige (chrysanthemums) flower is in the range of ₹240 - 260 per kg as opposed to the usual ₹100 - 150 per kg whereas the price of button rose has jumped from ₹120 per kg to ₹200 per kg. Kanakambara is the most expensive at ₹1,000 per kg while jasmine was priced at ₹500 on March 20.

“We expect a rise in the price of jasmine up to ₹ 800 per kg in the next three days,” Mamatha, a flower seller in Hebbal, said.

Lakkanna, a flower vendor in Hebbal, said that along with the festival demand, the storage of flowers and fruits in a fresh condition is a challenge during summer, which is why prices jump around the time.  

While the prices of staples, like tomato and potato, have remained stable ahead of the festival, the price of beans has seen a hike of ₹7-10 per kg in retail markets. The prices of carrots, capsicums, and green leafy vegetables have also risen by at least ₹5 per kg. 

While some customers went to wholesale markets to avoid the surging prices at retail marts, others lamented the higher rates.