Sudden Spurt In Vegetable Prices Due To Cyclone Havoc To Farms
According to preliminary enumeration reports, vegetables including commercial crops like banana etc have been lost in 2,000 acres: Reports
KAKINADA: A sudden spurt is seen in vegetable prices as the Montha cyclone damaged crops in the Godavari districts.
Another reason is the onset of the Karthika Masa, when many people do not eat non-vegetarian food. “This apart, there is a sudden decrease in quantity as vegetables are diverted to cyclone-hit areas,” market sources said.
Some of the vegetables are not available in the market. Even the leafy greens are also not available. The prices of brinjal, ladies finger, ivy gourd etc touched ₹50 per kilo in the Rythu Bazaar and ₹70 per kilo in the open market.
The ridge gourd prices rose to ₹70 or ₹80. Bitter gourd prices touched ₹40 per kilo in rythu bazaars and ₹60 per kilo in the open market. The bottle gourd is available at ₹30 to ₹40 against ₹10 to ₹15 before the cyclone.
Farmers said their crops have been totally inundated and rotten in the fields.
Vegetables are being cultivated in Pithapuram, Gollaprolu, Thondangi, Routhulapudi and Tuni Rural mandals. Farmers are selling their produce in Kakinada market. However, this time, the quantity for sale has drastically decreased due to inundation of crops.
According to preliminary enumeration reports, vegetables including commercial crops like banana etc have been lost in 2,000 acres.
Marketing assistant director KRRR Nageswara Rao told Deccan Chronicle that tomatoes are being brought to Banaganapalli and onions from Kurnool.
Many vegetable loads have been diverted to cyclone-hit areas for distribution to cyclone victims.
Marketing officials said the prices would be streamlined in a day or two. Though tomato prices fell at the wholesale market in Banaganapalli and other areas, the marketing department has provided “reasonable prices to farmers and protected their interests.”
He said that at present tomatoes were being sold at ₹22 per kilo in Rythu Bazaars and ₹30 to ₹35 per kilo in the open market.
But, enough of tomatoes are not available in the market this time. Leafy vegetables like asparagus, chilli leaves, lettuce, coriander etc are also available and each Lettuce bunch is being sold at ₹20 or ₹30.
