Representative image showing a vegetable market in Bengaluru
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: A bumper crop following a good monsoon last year has led to a surplus supply of some vegetables, bringing their prices down. However, the same cannot be said for fruits, where prices have skyrocketed, both due to lower supply and the festive season.
Many wholesalers and vendors said that the vegetable prices have remained stable and are on a downward trend.
B Ravishankar, secretary, Bengaluru Potato and Onion Merchants Association, noted that there are no issues with supply this time as many farmers re-sowed onion crops following good profits earned in the last season. "There is more supply than demand for onions now. Even Vijayapura is seeing good quality onion during this harvest season," he said.
Similarly, prices have remained stable in markets like KR Market, where vendors could be seen selling five kg of onion for Rs 100. Potatoes are also going for Rs 80 for two kg. Hurried customers rushed to the market on Saturday to make last-minute purchases for Ugadi.
A vegetable vendor near MG Road also said that there has been a steady supply of quality vegetables but the demand has not been very high, prompting retailers to push down the prices to empty stocks. "There has not yet been a spike in rates, especially that of vegetable crops, because production has been good," he said.
On the other hand, the prices of fruits and flowers have skyrocketed, with the latter's rates nearly doubling.
Arabian Jasmine, for example, usually costs less than Rs 600 per kg, working out to be Rs 30 per mola. However, on Saturday morning, the per kg was around Rs 1,200 at the market, prompting vendors to sell them at Rs 60 per mola. Similarly, Kanakambari prices have gone up from Rs 50 to Rs 80, whereas Chrysanthemum prices have gone up from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per mola.
Pomegranate and apple supply has been hit, say sellers at the market, who have had to look at different sources for a steady supply.
"One kg of pomegranate used to cost between Rs 60 and Rs 80 this time last year. We have had no choice but to sell them at Rs 160 per kg now, owing to higher transportation costs to bring them from Gujarat," one vendor said.