Punjab: Even after the holy time of Shraadh, fresh vegetables are out of reach of the common man, as prices go up due to various reasons. Prices of dry vegetables like garlic and onion are also no exception to the inflation, even though these are not usually served during Navratri. Imbalance between arrivals and consumption due to increased consumption during festivals, prolonged summer season, lack of rains and attack of tela (aphid) have been cited as the major reasons for the unprecedented rise in vegetable prices. The poor people have started to shy away from including vegetables in their diet, as the prices of green vegetables and relatively perishable salads have started to rise again after remaining low for a few weeks.
The general belief that rice, pulses and raw cereals should be banned during the holy time of Sharad and Navratri has worsened the situation, as it increases the consumption of green vegetables. Vegetable wholesaler Rajesh Jassa said that prices may increase further, as the weather is predicted to remain unfavourable for vegetables. The fall in demand for vegetables due to the end of autumn is expected to be compensated by the festive season and weddings. The impact is more in retail markets, as retailers and vendors do not take long to hike prices, while it takes time for them to pass on the benefit of the fall in prices to customers. Vegetable vendor Laxman Chand said that the prices of almost all vegetables have increased significantly in the wholesale market recently, which has also led to a rise in prices in retail markets.
He said he is surprised that zucchini, which is available for free to the poor, has increased from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 35 per kg in retail. He said garlic, which is currently available at Rs 500 per kg, is expected to reach Rs 600 due to the festive season. He said similarly, the prices of tomatoes (Rs 250 per kg), peas (Rs 100), radish (Rs 60) and cauliflower (Rs 90) are skyrocketing. He said the wholesale and retail prices of pumpkin, ladyfinger and cucumber have almost doubled in the last few days. Mahmood Akhtar Shad, president of the Malerkotla Kisan Union, said vegetable growers were bearing the brunt of the situation as the yield and quality of crops had been affected due to several reasons. “Prolonged heat, lack of rain due to the global greenhouse effect and attacks by ‘kala tela’ have affected vegetable growers,” he said.
