Soaring Veggie Prices Cook Up A Storm In City Kitchen Budgets | Ranchi News – Times of India

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Ranchi: Consumers across the city are grappling with rising kitchen bills as prices of vegetables have surged over the past week. A wide range of essential vegetables, including tomatoes, potatoes, onions and leafy greens, have seen a steep rise, leading to widespread concern among consumers.
A vegetable vendor at the Kokar Market,Anand Kumar, said, “The erratic weather conditions in crop growing areas have severely impacted yields, leading to a scarcity of fresh produce and subsequent price hikes.”
“Unusually heavy rainfalls, extreme temperatures and untimely frost have all dealt a heavy blow to the farmers’ yields, causing a significant drop in the quantity of vegetables available for sale,” he added.
Muskan Kumari, a vegetable seller at the Morabadi Market, said, “The unpredictable weather conditions and the drop in temperature have further exacerbated the transportation challenges faced by the producers, causing delays in the delivery to the market. As a consequence, markets are witnessing depleted stocks while consumers face limited options and grapple with higher prices.”
Praveen Singh, another vendor at Lalpur, highlighted an additional dimension to the issue, saying, “During Durga Puja, the vegetables were not being transported. Most of the vegetables became rotten. This is the primary reason for the recent hike in vegetable prices.”
Among the highly-priced kitchen essentials is the onion, which has seen a staggering price hike. It is now being sold at Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg, up from Rs 40 per kg just a week ago. Tomatoes have also experienced a substantial rise, now sold at Rs 50 per kg compared to the previous Rs 30 per kg. Ladies’ finger (okra) is now priced at Rs 60 per kg, a significant rise from Rs 50 per kg. Even brinjal witnessed a notable hike, soaring from Rs 40 to Rs 50 last week to Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg.
Consumers who heavily rely on staples like onions, tomatoes and potatoes arefacing the brunt of this rapid increase in prices that is putting additional strain on household budgets affected by the rising inflation.
Ratnawali Tiwari, a homemaker, said, “When the costs of onions were lower, we were delighted as prices of some of the most sought-after items were also low. Though vegetable prices often fluctuate, the recent surge, especially for new potatoes and onions, has added a significant strain on our household budgets.”
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