KOLKATA: Extensive damage caused to standing crops due to inundation of fields after the recent flood and successive spike in diesel rates have once again put vegetable prices on an upswing, pushing up kitchen budget days before the Durga Puja.
The impact of a deep depression in Bay of Bengal and intense rain in a short span of time has left farmlands across districts under water. The gap between demand and supply has increased and prices are unlikely to drop during festive period, say those associated with the vegetable trade in Kolkata.
"All efforts should be made to keep the price deviation (from normal) as low as possible and for as short a duration as possible. Agencies should also ensure that the middle of the supply chain does not profiteer at the expense of the farmer and the buyer.-TimesView"
Prices of vegetables at retail markets across the city have more than doubled in a week. Parwal (pointed gourd), for instance, rose to Rs70 a kg, which was hovering around Rs30/kg a week ago. Tomato was selling at Rs25-30/kg and is now priced at Rs50. Price of brinjal (eggplant) was Rs35-40 and is now selling at Rs70-80 a kg. Parwal, bottle gourd, long beans, cucumber and okra are particularly susceptible to stagnant water and rot faster than other vegetables, if they are under water for more than 2-3 days.
“A sharp drop in the supply of vegetables from Hooghly, Howrah, Midnapore, where barrage water inundated farm fields, have left farmers hapless. The impact of their losses are being felt by the city markets,” said Kamal Dey, president Bengal Farmers’ and Vendors’ Association.
In fact, the rain water has not receded from several farmlands in Bashirhat, Bongaon, Canning, Baruipur as the rivers, which are supposed to drain out the water are still overflowing. “The water is flowing back into the fields even if they are pumped out into the canals. That is why the damage to crops is far worse than what we experienced in the aftermath of Yaas,” said Rasul Miyan, a farmer and member of Joint Action Forum of Farmers and Vendors at Barasat.
“Moreover, the transportation cost has risen once more, with diesel prices inching towards a century. Since September 24, the prices of diesel rose by Rs2 per litre. Now, there is an increase of Rs100 per tonne of vegetables from the haat to wholesale market and from wholesale market to retail ones,” said Gobindo Naskar, a wholesaler at Jinjira (Base Bridge) wholesale market.
“The rising prices of vegetables are ominous for us before the festivals. The prices of all edible commodities across categories have risen. LPG price too has had a shocking rise. The fluctuating vegetable prices are burning a bigger hole in the pockets,” said Ashwini Kumar, an engineer with the railway.
