Rainfall hits vegetable supplies; prices multiply

“Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh,from where we import most of the fruits and vegetables in Chandigarh,have not had a good produce this year due to delay of monsoons and drying of crops. On the other hand,now with sudden rains in the region,arrival of vegetables from these regions has been affected further leading to a sudden increase in prices in the last few days,” said J S Mavi,Secretary of Grain Market in Sector 26.

Last month,tomatoes were selling at an average price of Rs 9 per kg. The second most expensive vegetable in the market presently is the pea which is being sold at Rs 45 per kg even in the wholesale market. Earlier,it was being sold at Rs 15 per kg. Onion prices have slightly increased with the humble vegetable being sold at Rs 8.5 per kg compared to last weeks Rs 3.5. Cauliflower is the only vegetable which is being produced locally and being sold at an almost constant price of Rs 25 per kg.

Green chilly,ginger,capsicum and lemon are others who have crossed the Rs 30 per kg mark this week. Kulwant Singh,a farmer from Mohali,says,“I have my own tomato farm in Mohali so I can afford to sell them at a lesser rate than the ones available in apna mandi,that are exported from outside. However,the prices of vegetables are generally high these days as farms are disappearing.”

Residents,however,say that the rising prices cannot regulate their consumption. “No matter how the prices vary,we cannot just take the expensive vegetables off the menu. It is also a question of nutrition,at whichever price it comes,there is no compromise on health,” says Shruti Kalra,a housewife in Sector 46.

“Chandigarh has no produce area of its own and prices tend to fluctuate easily in monsoons. It is difficult to pack them for the journey or they rot. The connecting roads get blocked after rains and with the rising fuel prices,transportation has become expensive,” says Gurwinder Singh,mandi supervisor at Grain market.