Jamshedpur : People of the city are battling with towering prices of vegetables these days. Truant monsoon has resulted in poor rainfall, which has further led to low yield this season. The prices of almost all vegetables have shot up by at least 30 to 40 per cent in the city in recent weeks. No doubt impact of delayed rains is showing in the prices of the vegetables in the city.
According to information, over the weeks the prices of vegetables in the city markets and its adjoining areas have skyrocketed and people are reeling under increased prices. The production this has been hampered.
Farmers in Patamda complain that due to poor rainfall the production has been affected. Due to short in supply the prices of several vegetables like tomato, potato, garlic, lady’s fingers and bringal have increased.
Tomatoes and onion which is brought from Bangalore and Nashik (Maharashtra) respectively has had its prices almost doubled.
Prices of apple and mango have been the worst hit. There is only cold storage facility at Bistupur.
�The prices of potato and onion have doubled in last few weeks and it has been very difficult to run the house with such sudden price hike. We have no choice but make purchases at increased rates�, said Gajanand Sharma, a school teacher of Jugsalai.
Meanwhile, Nizam Mohammed a trader of Sakchi said that the yield is low this season due to poor rainfall. Both the states Bihar and Jharkhand have received comparatively low rainfall this season.
He said that due to increase in prices of petrol and diesel, the cost of transportation has also jumped. The traders who import vegetables from neighbouring states have no choice but supply at increased rates.
The prices of green vegetables are also beyond the reach of the people as most of them are selling at an exorbitant rate. Lady�s finger at Rs 20-24 Kg, Carrot Rs 25-30 Kg, brinjal Rs 24-30 kg.
A vegetable vendor said that due poor rainfall, the production is limited. If there is rain, prices are expected to come down.
Meanwhile, consumers are forced to cut their vegetable budget due to dearer prices. �My vegetable budget has doubled. If the situation continues, we will be forced to cut down on our consumption of vegetables completely and instead would be switching to staple food items,� said a housewife.
