Soaring prices of veggies pinch pockets

According to vegetable sellers and consumers, the increase in prices has been ongoing for over a week.

Vegetable prices in Hyderabad continued to see a spike with tomatoes breaching the ₹100-mark at retail outlets and runner beans (sem) selling for ₹160 per kilo.

According to vegetable sellers and consumers, the increase in prices has been ongoing for over a week. Marketing Department officials had earlier said that the price rise is cyclical and informed that it is seen during summer and the initial days of monsoon. They had said while there has been an increase, the hike is not alarming.

“Bottle gourd was selling for between ₹15 and ₹20 last week. The price per piece now is ₹40. The case is the same with coriander which is now selling for ₹6 per bunch. It has doubled since last week. Runner beans, sold for ₹60 per kilo, are now priced at ₹100,” said Kaleem Khan, a vegetable and chicken seller from Banjara Hills, said.

Also seeing an increase in prices are ginger and garlic. According to buyers, a kilogram now costs about ₹280. Consumers have to shell out ₹80 for a kilo of ridge gourd, as against ₹60 a little over a week ago. Similarly, brinjal saw a price hike and is being quoted between ₹55 and ₹60 per kg.

Meanwhile, prices at the Rythu Bazaar in Hyderabad district also saw an increase over the last month. The district-wise abstract on vegetable arrivals and prices shows that in May, the price for tomatoes at the Rythu Bazaar was ₹17 which more than doubled to touch ₹39 in June. Similarly, brinjal was being sold for ₹28 in May, but the price shot up to ₹35 within a month. Green chilli prices per kilogram have more than doubled; it was available for ₹40 last month and is now priced at ₹85.