India: Gujarat vegetable prices up 250%
Last year mint cost Rs22.50 per kg, indicating a 250% hike in prices in just one year. Similarly, prices of capsicum and green chilly increased from Rs15 per kg and Rs10 per kg to Rs40 and Rs25 respectively. Moreover, lemons, which cost Rs9 per kg, are now being sold at Rs22.50 per kg.
Commission agents at the Sardar Patel Vegetable Market in Ahmedebad, believe the prices relate to short supply, as might be expected, but also to lower, real income, being generated from the sales of vegetables, forcing those involved in the supply chain to seek higher prices.
Some of the agents blame the price rise on competition with other markets. "Not only commission agents, but farmers too, have become more savvy and are checking other markets before dumping their produce. This competition has resulted in higher prices," said a commission agent.
Potatoes from Deesa in Palanpur district have seen a price rise of around 81 per cent, while the prices of local varieties of potato have also gone up by 75 per cent. The Deesa potato, which was sold at Rs6.75 per kg in the wholesale market on June 25, 2011, is now Rs12.25 per kg. The rates for local varieties of potato have also gone up from Rs6 a kg to Rs10.50 a kg in one year.
It is the potato prcie rises that are causing the most distress for the consumer.
"When the cost of green vegetables was drastically high in winter, I used to strike a balance by using potato with almost each green vegetable as potato prices were quite reasonable. But this trick will not work now," said Rekha Pandya, a consumer from Maninagar.
The main cause for these rises is that farmers simply will not sell their produce for the low prices they will attract nw, after being hit hard in last year's season.
Source: daily.bhaskar.com
