Brinjal sells at Rs 160 per kg in Karimnagar, consumers hit as vegetable prices soar

K M Dayashankar

KARIMNAGAR:  The kitchen budget of common man went haywire as the prices of all vegetables had shot up and become very expensive and out of reach.

For the first time, the price of brinjal had reached at Rs 160 per kg and ladies finger at Rs 120 per kilogram. Incidentally, these two vegetables are always cheaper and easily available. But, this time the prices of brinjal and ladies finger had also hit the roof. The drumstick which is used in making sambar had become very expensive at Rs 400 per kilogram. The French beans, carrots, capsicums, which are popularly called as “English vegetables’ are beyond the reach of the commoners.

The commonly available bottle-gourd, which would be available at Rs 10 per piece, had now reached Rs 30 per piece. Even the prices of leafy vegetables are out of reach of the common man. Some saving grace is that the price of tomatoes had come down from Rs 100 per kg to Rs 50 per kg.

Usually, the prices of all vegetables would be cheap during the winter season. But, the crop failure due to incessant rains followed by the pest attack had cast its impact on production of the vegetables in various parts of Karimnagar district. Another major reason for skyrocketing prices of vegetables is the wedding season.

Following the wedding season and conduct of other functions, there is huge demand for the vegetables for mass functions. Due to increase in demand for the functions, the vegetables are not coming into the local markets in Karimnagar town.

A vegetable vendor Venkatesh said that the vegetables were not coming into the market following the decline in the yield due to pest attack and damages caused due to the incessant rains in the recent past. Manohar, a government teacher said that after petrol price hike and amid skyrocketing prices of oil and pulses, now the increase of vegetable prices had become a cause of concern for the commoners.

hindudayashankar