Spiralling prices of veggies and edible oil stings middle class, poor

Prices steadily rising since lockdown was first imposed last year

With the rise in diesel cost, prices of vegetables and other provisions are set to skyrocket further, serving the common man’s platter a double blow during the pandemic. Already, edible oil and vegetables have become dearer in the past one year since the lockdown was imposed during the first wave of COVID-19. Prices of edible oils have nearly doubled since last year, reportedly due to international price rise and heavy dependence on imports. “Before the first lockdown, I remember buying sunflower oil for ₹95 per litre. Even two months ago, I bought it for about ₹120 a litre. Now, the price has gone up to ₹178 in the supermarket. The rise has been steep,” says K. Mamatha, a homemaker.