VIJAYAWADA: The sharp rise in prices of vegetables is causing an extra financial burden on the ordinary people and the middle class in these Corona times. The price of tomatoes rose to Rs 40-60 per kg from Rs 16, based on quality, in the past two weeks. A reason cited for the hike is the crop loss due to rains.
A similar rise was evident in onion price, which increased to Rs 40-60 per kg from Rs 25-27. Other vegetable prices are also seeing sharp rises. Intake of nutritious food is essential for good health in the Covid season but these are unaffordable to the common man now.
Vegetable traders say the incessant rains and floods damaged vegetable crops on large tracts of lands and this led to a shortage and the resultant rise in prices.
Nutritious food is a must for boosting of immunity to cope with the Covid19 situation. Those who can afford to buy are taking fresh vegetables including leafy ones under the nutritious diet regimen.
Onion, an essential item for cooking, became very costly and traders say the price would likely go further up due to the rains and floods in Maharashtra, Karnataka and other states, from where onion is brought to AP.
Private sector employee Ramabhaskar said vegetables used to be affordable as compared to non-veg dishes. Onions and tomatoes are essential for every dish, but sadly the prices of these increased by 300 per cent. Beans considered as an immunity booster was available for Rs 30 per kg. Now its price is quoted at Rs 60 per kg. This, at a time when the income of most people has reduced due to the Covid crisis. The government should initiate steps to control the soaring prices, he said.
Housewife Hymavathi said earlier four to five varieties of vegetables and three to four leafy vegetables were available for Rs 100 to Rs 150, which sufficed for a week’s cooking, but now they cost up to Rs 300.
Traders, Lakshmi and Nagendra Prasad said rains damaged all crops. This created a shortage and the higher prices would continue to be so for the next few weeks until the arrival of the newly harvested crops. “We are also incurring losses due to supply of damaged vegetables,” they said and urged the government to check the price spiral.
