Markets on fire: Brinjal, chilli hit century, beans, drumstick double century, spinach triple century
Times of India | 10 July 2024
Kolkata: Households in the city struggled with their budget as prices of vegetables continue to soar with most greens selling at over Rs 100 a kg, an unprecedented situation in recent years. Experts attribute the surge to the delayed onset of the monsoon and a significant rain deficit, which have severely impacted green produce.
Since May, vegetable prices have been steadily rising, hitting a critical point in June.Price of most vegetables was currently at a five-year high and it was causing severe hardship to common people, said agro-economist Anamitra Bose.
Price of beans increased from less than Rs 150 a kg in early June to Rs 200 now. Brinjals, which cost Rs 40 in the first week of June now cost Rs 150, or even higher in some places. Seasonal spinach went from Rs 140 a kg to Rs 300. Tomatoes jumped from Rs 30 in the beginning of June to Rs 90 a kg now. Despite some measures taken during the election month to control prices, there had been no significant reduction since then.
The middle-class households in Kolkata continue to grapple with the skyrocketing vegetable prices, hoping for a timely monsoon to provide much-needed relief.
“The kitchen budget has gone haywire with prices of almost all edibles soaring through the roof. We are facing a huge challenge serving a nutritious yet delicious platter to family members, despite far exceeding the kitchen budget and compromising monthly savings,” said Archana Dasgupta, a householder at Lake Gardens.
Kamal De, president of the West Bengal Vendors' and Growers' Association, said: “Vegetables are scarcely available at the market and farmers are selling directly from the fields. There's a lot of variation in quality. Vegetables and their fields here generally don't face issues at temperatures around 30°C. However, when it reaches 40°C or above, farmers encounter severe difficulties. Farmers trying to irrigate fields with minimal water face further problems. When little water is applied to cracked soil, hot steam rises from the ground, causing significant damage to plants, flowers and fruits. This is what happened this year.”
Majed Ali, a cultivator from Bhangar, said: “We grow vegetables on a large scale, including off-season crops, but this unpredictability of nature (lack of rain) has devastated us. Production rates have plummeted drastically. Where we used to harvest 500 quintals of brinjal, we now only get 50 quintals. There's no solution other than heavy rainfall.”
The surge in vegetable prices in Kolkata is a major concern for middle-class households, compounded by scanty rainfall in south Bengal. A member of the state govt’s task force, formed to control prices of essential commodities in retail markets, noted that the lack of vegetable supply is leading to the current high prices.