Vegetable prices soar with mercury

quot;Everything is so costly,quot; complains Sunita Patil, a housewife from Lalbaug and a veteran of several arguments with vendors. quot;The prices are sky-high, I really cannot make up my mind on what to buy, sometimes I return empty-handed and cook a simple dal-chaval meal.quot;

quot;The city has not had a situation like this in at least a decade,quot; says Nandkumar Dalvi of the Wholesale Vegetableand Flower Vendor Mandal.

The price rise is inextricably linked with the weather, say retailers. With perishables, well, perishing in the summer heat. quot;We sometimes lose up to 25 per cent of a truckload of vegetables which is transported into the city North India,quot; Dalvi adds.

Other reasons being cited are the shifting of the wholesale fruit and vegetable markets to Navi Mumbai couple of years ago.

quot;Retailers keep a margin of at least 14 per cent to cover the extra costs of loading commodities in Navi Mumbai and then unloading them in Mumbai,quot; Dalvi says.

Amongst the other greens which are on the rise, is the humble spinach. A bunch of spinach has risen to Rs 7 from Rs 2.50 just last week, a bunch of methi cost Rs 15 while spring-onions have risen from Rs 3 to Rs 10 a bundle. Green chillies now cost Rs 25 a kg from Rs 15 a kg.

To add to the price frenzy, the government increased the price of milk by one rupee after a five-year gap this month. Milk now costs Rs 11 a litre. Private milk producers toohave hiked prices by one rupee and have pegged their milk at Rs 15 a litre.

Mahim resident Patsy Rodrigues says that prices of meat and fish too have risen. quot;Vegetables which were meant to be more accessible are as costly as meat or fish, buying either makes no difference,quot; she says.

As for the mangoes of the season it has become a prohibitive pleasure almost. Following a scarcity of supply, prices of Alphonso mangoes have skyrocketed. This is largely owing to the unseasonal December rains ruined crops. The Alphonso has soared to Rs 700 to Rs 800 a dozen with other varieties such as Pairee, Totapuri, Lal Bagh, Badami are selling anywhere between Rs 70-100 a dozen.

Prices of other fruits too have continued their upward climb. Grapes have increased from Rs 40 to Rs 60, the price of a medium sized watermelon has doubled to Rs 30 and chikoos from Rs 15 to Rs 40.

Bhagatram, a vegetable seller at Colaba market agrees that the price rise has deterred buyers. quot;With the price of vegetables on the rise, peoplehave reduced their purchases. The heat destroys vegetables. I am now forced to wind up shop an hour in advance.quot; At the vegetable market at Navi Mumbai, wholesalers are forced to begin their days as early as 3am.

quot;Vegetables come into the city at this hour. If supply is satisfactory, prices stabilise. If the crop is bad, there is considerable decrease in the quantity of supply,quot; said one vendor.