Vegetable prices soar in Bengaluru, but quality dips

Vegetable prices surge due to limited supply, especially beans, with consumers facing poor quality amid rising costs.

After a brief period of stability, the prices of vegetables have gone up again due to limited supply in the market because of the weather. The prices of daily-use vegetables, especially beans, have almost doubled in the last two to three weeks.

While the prices of carrots, capsicum, cucumber, and other vegetables have gone up more in retail markets, that of beans has gone up both in retail and wholesale markets. It is selling at ₹80 to ₹90 a kg in wholesale markets and ₹110 to ₹125 in retail markets.

“As it is the summer season and water availability is less than usual, vegetable arrivals have dropped in the markets. The stock of beans is lesser than that of other vegetables,” said Muniyappa, a vegetable trader from Kalasipalya market.

The price of some vegetables that are not typical summer crops has also seen a sharp increase. For instance, cucumber is selling at ₹40 to ₹45 a kg in retail markets and HOPCOMS, while chow chow is selling at about ₹50 to ₹60 a kg.

“The arrivals of these vegetables are generally less in summer, and because of this, there has been some fluctuation in the prices. Moreover, farmers in Karnataka do not stick to one vegetable crop. They change their crops according to which one is more profitable and cultivable in that period. Once this cycle is over and the next harvest cycle starts, then the prices will stabilise,” said the manager of a HOPCOMS stall in the central business district.

Carrot is selling at ₹60 to ₹65 a kg, capsicum at ₹40 to ₹50, brinjal at ₹40 to ₹45, ladies finger at ₹35 to ₹40, potato at ₹38 to ₹40 and knol khol at ₹80 to ₹90 a kg in retail and online markets. Retail vendors also attributed the price rise to less availability in the market. “As vegetables rot quickly owing to the heat, we have to pick the best ones from wholesale markets and get them. But the best quality items are not amply available,” said Chandrashekhar, a retail vegetable vendor at Yelahanka.