Kitchen budgets went haywire with prices of vegetables going northwards.
A kg of tomatoes cost ₹54, while lady's finger, Ivy gourd, brinjal., etc are sold at above ₹40 a kg. Indian beans are available only if one is willing to shell out ₹70 a kg, while its hybrid version is sold at ₹60 a kg.
So are the prices of onions. The Maharashtra variety onions are sold at ₹36 a kg, while Kurnool variety onions are sold at ₹28 a kg. And, these prices are prevailing at Rythu Bazaars.
‘English vegetables’
French beans, capsicum and carrot, which are popularly called “English vegetables”, are beyond the reach of commoners. While carrots cost ₹58 or ₹42 a kg depending upon the variety, capsicum costs ₹85 a kg. French beans prices hover at ₹50 a kg.
Most of the leafy vegetables have nearly disappeared from Rythu Bazaars in the city. Markets in the city are reporting a shortage of leafy vegetables, with most varieties except for varieties like sorrel leaves and amaranthus vanishing from the shelves. Spinach (palakura), Malabar spinach (bachali), fenugreek (menthi kura), spring onion, etc are also not seen in the markets. Curry leaves and coriander have become dearer. While a small bunch of coriander costs ₹20, curry leaves which were sold at just ₹3 to ₹5 till few days ago, are now sold at a minimum price of ₹10.
The officials say that the arrivals have come down due to heavy rains in areas like Madanapalle in Chittoor district where tomatoes are cultivated. Usually, about 2,500 crates (each crate weighs 26 kg) arrive in Krishna district daily at Rythu Bazaars. It has come down to 2,000 crates.
According to Deputy Director (Marketing department) Diwakar Rao, the arrivals of tomatoes at Madanapalle market would be 1,500 to 1,600 metric tonnes per day. Now only 400 tonnes were arriving there due to rains. The situation is likely to ease in a fortnight, he opines.
Consumers would have to buy at much higher rates. The tomatoes are not sold less than ₹100 a kg in open markets and by pushcarts vendors.
