PATNA: Already battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and reduced income following the lockdown, the residents are finding it difficult to manage the household budget with skyrocketing prices of vegetables and fruits, especially when Diwali and Chhath Puja are round the corner.
Vegetable and fruit vendors say the spurt in prices is the result of surging fuel prices, crop damages due to heavy rain, as well as the festive season. They anticipate consumable items to get dearer in the coming weeks, if a similar situation continues.
Tomato is being sold at Rs65-70/kg, onion Rs45-50/kg, saag (spinach) Rs 60-70/kg and lady finger Rs40-50/kg in wholesale markets of Patna. Capsicum, which was available for Rs60/kg a few weeks back, is now being sold at Rs100/kg. Similarly, the rates of nenua (sponge gourd), kaddu (bottle gourd), beans, carrot, cauliflower, potato, cucumber and green chilli also increased in the last couple of weeks.
Lakhan Paswan, a vendor at Rajendra Nagar sabzi mandi, said most of the vegetable prices have gone up by 10-25%, compared to last month. “Prices are likely to stay on the higher side for the next couple of weeks in the wake of Diwali and Chhath, as the demand increases but the supply is hit due to crop damage. Increased fuel prices have also attributed to the rise in the veggie prices,” he said.
Sikander at Anta Ghat said the prices are bound to increase further with the festive season ahead. “Cauliflower, which was at Rs16-20 per piece in September, is now sold at Rs60 in a pair while a bottle gourd costs Rs40. The price of lady finger and potato has increased from Rs30 to Rs50/kg and from Rs20 to Rs32/kg, respectively. Garlic is being sold at Rs120/kg, ginger at Rs80/kg and chilli Rs60-80/kg,” he said.
Prices of seasonal fruits like orange, apple, banana and papaya have also shot up. Orange is being sold at Rs60/kg, apple at Rs120/kg and papaya at Rs40/kg in the wholesale market at Bazaar Samiti. The retail prices of veggies and fruits are almost 5-10% higher than the wholesale rates.
Kishan Prasad, a fruit-seller at Bazaar Samiti, said the transportation cost of fruits has gone up with the rise in fuel prices. “All the fruits are imported from Maharashtra and the transportation cost has been increasing. Banana (chinia) is sold at Rs40 per dozen while Singapuri banana costs Rs60 per dozen. Orange is available at Rs250/5kg. We sell fruits in bulk,” he said.
Pakhuri Sinha, a resident of West Boring Canal Road, said she bought tomato at Rs80/kg about a couple of days back in retail. “Earlier, onion prices derailed our budget. Now, its tomato and other vegetables. If the prices keep on increasing, then we have to rearrange the household budget for the upcoming festival,” she said.
Anant Singh, a bank employee and a resident of Bikhnapahadi, said, “I am buying vegetables at higher prices in the wholesale markets at Machhua Toli and Mussallahpur Hatt. Prices of all household commodities are increasing every month. It is indeed getting difficult to manage the household budget. Half of my saving exhausts to meet the daily needs and medical expenses,” he said.
“Pieces of vegetables and fruits will play a spoilsport in Diwali and Chhath. We have decided not to spend money on unnecessary things like clothes and accessories during festive time,” said Lata Devi, a resident of Jakkanpur.
