Prices of vegetables soar, tomato sold over ₹54 a kg

Situation likely to ease in a fortnight according to officials.

Kitchen budgets went haywire as the prices of vegetables have become expensive. A kilo of tomatoes cost ₹54, while lady’s finger (benda kaya), Ivy gourd (dondakaya), brinjal etc are sold at prices not less than ₹40 a kg. Indian beans (Kanupu chikkullu) are available only if one is willing to shell out ₹70 a kg. Hybrid kanupu chikkullu is also sold at ₹60 a kg. So are the prices of onions. The Maharashtra variety onions are sold at ₹36 a kg while Kurnool variety onions are sold at ₹28 a kg. And, these prices are prevailing at Rythu Bazaars.

The french beans, capsicum and carrot, which are popularly called “English vegetables”, are beyond the reach of commoners. While carrots cost ₹58 or ₹42 a kg depending upon the variety, the capsicum cost ₹85 a kg. The French beans prices hover at ₹50 a kg.

Most of the leafy vegetables have nearly disappeared from Rythu Bazaars in the city. The city markets are reporting a shortage of green leafy vegetables, with most varieties except for varieties such as sorrel leaves and amaranthus doing a vanishing act. Spinach (palakura), Malabar spinach (bachali), fenugreek (menthi kura), spring onion, etc are also not seen in the markets. Curry leaves and coriander have become dearer. While a small bunch of coriander costs ₹20, curry leaves which were sold at just ₹3 to ₹5 till few days ago, now sold at a minimum price of ₹10.