MARGAO
The common man may have or soon realize that vegetables have gone beyond their reach.
Reason. Not a single variety of vegetable is available for a price below Rs 30 a Kg, with the prices of onion crossing the Rs 50 mark in the retail market.
And, if sources are to be believed, bad days lie ahead for Goans, a situation which leaves not many options, than to buy vegetables at a premium.
Goa Horticulture Corporation Managing Director Sandeep Faldesai has attributed the rising prices to the shortage of vegetables owing to the recent rains which have damaged the crop in the neighbouring states.
In fact, blame it on the recent rains in neighbouring Karnataka or hoardings by unscrupulous traders, prices of vegetables have skyrocketed to a high, with onions priced at Rs 54 per Kg in the retail market and French beans almost zooming to the Rs 100 per kg mark. A kilogramme of French beans is being sold at Rs 88 at the Horticulture Corporation stalls, while it is nearing the Rs 100 per Kg mark in the retail market.
A glance at the vegetable rate chart displayed at the Horticulture Corporation stalls revealed that the prices of all varieties have gone up and beyond the reach of the common man. In fact, barring cabbage (Rs 32) and green chilies (Rs 35 per Kg), the prices of almost all other varieties of vegetables have gone past the Rs 40 per Kg mark.
Onions which were available in the range of Rs 24-26 just a couple of days ago is now being sold at Rs 48 per kilogramme at the Horticulture Corporation stalls. At the Gandhi market wholesale fish market, the price of onion also hovers around Rs 48 per kg, but the price of onion has crossed the Rs 50 kg mark in the retail market.
A wholesale trader in onions at the Gandhi Market attributed the sudden rise in the prices of vegetables to the rains and scarcity of vegetables. “Because of rains, the harvest could not take place. Even the onion which has been harvested in recent days is damaged and spoiled”, he said.
The wholesaler pointed out the rates will come down only if fresh stock of vegetables hit the markets in Karnataka and Maharashtra. “The possibility of fresh stock of onions and tomatoes coming to the market is remote for now because of the damage caused by the rains. We can expect harvest only after the rains subside and the water drained out”, the wholesaler said.
Horticulture Corporation MD Sandeep Faldesai also did not rule out the possibility of further rise in vegetable prices in the coming days. “We are facing a difficult situation for the moment. Because of the rains, the vegetable production has been damaged in the neighbouring states. Besides, we have information that many a farmer, who suffered huge losses during the lockdown period for want of demand, did not cultivate vegetables. These two factors have hit the prices of vegetables”, Faldesai said.
