Adding to the consumers’ woes, vegetable prices have increased in Kolkata, after continuous rains in the city damaged the standing crops. According to the traders, the supply of vegetables could be further affected if the rain continues in the city.
“A vast stretch of farm fields across Baruipur, Canning, Bongaon, Basirhat, Arambag and Dankuni from where we get the supply of vegetables to our wholesale and retail markets are still underwater and vegetables are rotting in the field. The unusually heavy rain in a very short span of time took a huge toll on standing crops,” said Gautam Sinha, a wholesaler at Jinjira Bazar.
According to a report published in the Times of India (TOI), most vegetable prices shot up by Rs. 20- 30 per kg in comparison to what they were at the beginning of this week.
“The supply was being largely sustained by harvested crops. But after the torrential rain, crops in south Bengal have been damaged, creating a supply line issue”, TOI quoted Kamal De, president of the Bengal Vendors’ Association as saying.
High prices hit the kitchen budget
Quoting Anirban Guha, a private insurance company employee, TOI reported that this is the second time that the prices of vegetables have gone up again in Kolkata. Meanwhile, LPG prices are also soaring at an all-time high in the city.
Similarly, high prices of mustard oil and spices are also bothering consumers. In a nutshell, the kitchen budget is literally going out of hand and burning a big hole in consumers’ pockets.
“Vegetables like parwal (pointed gourd), which was selling at Rs 35-Rs 40 a kg, is now being sold at Rs 70. Similarly, bitter gourd, which was selling at Rs 40 a kg, is now being sold at Rs. 60 in the market”, a wholesaler at Kidderpore market told TOI.
READ MORE | Ground report: Veggie prices soar across country as lockdown, rain impact supply chain
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/kolkata/story/vegetable-prices-shoot-in-kolkata-after-rain-damages-crops-1857410-2021-09-26
