Going back to roots, are we?

Vegetables weigh in gold; greens have gotten dearer too!

Don’t get it wrong. Going back to roots is not about returning to your native, or going for simpler things in life.

If prices continue to skyrocket the way they are now, very soon people will be able to afford only roots and tubes that grow under the earth.

 After all, not many people will want to buy beans at Rs 100 per kilo and see it wither next day. It’s truly a thing of heartache.

While temperatures are killing and the heat is getting unbearable, another factor that’s contributing to life turning miserable these days is the price of vegetables.

With the existing prices, majority of the middle class can only afford to buy it in grams and not in kilos as they did even few weeks ago. 

Surrounding areas

Mysore gets its share of vegetables from Srirangapatna, KR Pet, Jayapura, Baradanapura and surrounding places. Everyday, city consumes about five tones of vegetables and fruits, generating around Rs 2.5 lakh as the transaction amount.

Hopcoms store manager C S Shivanna feels the price rise is owing to scarce supply of vegetables and fruits to yards. But, the farmers who grow greens, vegetables and fruits, had a different story to tell. “We get only four to six hours of three phase power to be able to supply water to our fields. 

Borewells have no water. Power problem has been too actue, and hence the production was less which has resulted in hike in prices,” say the farmers.  

Mean ‘bean’

If mango is the king of fruits, then the crown of ‘king of vegetables’ is a rolling one. Last year while tur dal cost a fortune (touching even Rs 100 per kilo), and onion matched the price with it touching the same price bracket; beans has slowly but surely occupied that place now. The slender green juicy beans costs a good Rs 80 -Rs 100 depending on where you buy it. Greens are no less either. Corriander is scarce.

 And wherever one can find it, it costs pretty dear to be owned. A bunch of corriander which did not cost more than Re one till few days ago, is now a good Rs 15 per bunch.  

Greens too

According to vegetable seller Gopal, this trend is disturbing since greens have very short shelf life and sellers usually don’t have the investing capacity to preserve their colour and shape, and avoid from whithering. 

Other greens such as curry leaves, mint, spinach and desi varieties have shot up from mere 50 paise to five rupees. Carrot costs Rs 40 (Rs 30 previously) and cabbage has touched Rs 28 from Rs eight, earlier. 

Some of the vegetables which have brought respite to people include Mangalore cucumber, tomato, and brinjal -- all have come down by Rs 10 per kilo. However, potato which cost Rs 15 earlier, now costs Rs 22.

 Among fruits, apple which has always remained dear, has turned dearer costing Rs 154 per kilo. Oranges cost Rs 80, a jump from Rs 30 earlier.   According to B M Shivalingappa, Managing Director, Mysore-Chamarajanagar district Hopcoms,  the cost fluctuation is due to scarce availability of labour in areas where the greens and vegetables are grown. 

As a result, even the production has come down, and second generation farmers are moving away from the occupation, making it even more difficult. 

Land is diminishing with people converting them into sites and residential layouts. When there is scarcity, middle men also contribute to it, and jack up the prices by holding the goods. Customer, who is the king, is forced to bear the cross, the officer adds.