Household budgets suffer as vegetable prices fluctuate

NAVI MUMBAI: Fluctuating vegetable prices have burnt a hole in the residents’ pockets. As prices of essential products like chilli and ginger increase, the common man has been complaining about the effect the prices have on the daily budget.

Strikes like the one for LBT coupled with poor storage and droughts have lead to a scarcity of vegetables said traders at the Agricultural Produce and Market Committee (APMC).

For instance, the price of ginger was Rs80 per kg until a fortnight ago; that has now increased to around Rs 110 per kg. Chillies that were sold at Rs30 per kg are now being sold at Rs50 per kg while the export variety costs Rs60 per kg. Vegetables like tomatoes have also witnessed a rise from Rs10 per kg to Rs40 in the last week. Prices of beans, lady finger and capsicum have also risen from Rs40, Rs30, Rs25 to Rs80, Rs65 and Rs45 respectively.

Divya Suresh, a resident of Seawoods said, “We are having a tough time dealing with the current prices of vegetables. I have to literally use only half of what I generally use.”

Vendors at the market said that while prices rise during the summer, the drought in areas like Nagpur, Nashik and Amravati have also affected prices.

However the prices are expected to fall and eve stabilise once the rains begin, said Shankar Pingle, director of the vegetable market at APMC.