Kitchen budget of families to go for a toss as prices of essentials rise in Karnataka

Various factors, including last year's excess rains and a delayed monsoon this time, are behind the price rise.

The delay in the arrival of monsoon is all set to disturb the ‘kitchen budget’ of families as the price of essential goods and vegetables are set to rise further.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has identified 22 products, including rice, wheat, tur, sugar, milk, tomato, potato, onion and others, as essential products. A closer look at the prices of these products over the last 15 days to one year shows that some of them have jumped by more than 50 per cent to 80 per cent. Experts blame the price rise on various factors including the excess rain that the state received last year, demand for products from other states, poor yield and delays in the arrival of monsoon.

The price of tomato, whose average price across the state was Rs 25 per kg a fortnight ago, is now being sold anywhere between Rs 60 and Rs 100. Kolar, which is the highest producer of tomatoes in the state, has witnessed a dip in the harvest of this fruit this year.

To top that, traders from other states, including Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and others have also transported more than 40 truckloads of tomato so far.

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Kolar APMC Secretary Vijaylakshmi said this year the tomato yield has reduced due to diseased crops and poor quality of yield. She expects the prices of tomatoes to rise further this season if rains play spoilsport.

Similarly, the prices of beans (Rs 120 per kg), onion (Rs 60 per kg), potato (Rs 75 per kg), and leafy vegetables have also seen a jump.

Byadgi chilli has also witnessed a sharp rise in prices. A quintal of the red spice, which was sold for Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000 last season is being sold for Rs 55,000 to Rs 60,000 in the wholesale market.

“Chilli market is between November and March. Due to excess rain during October and November last year, the field yield was lost. However, the farmers who sowed it in the second term are benefiting due to greater demand,” said Byadgi APMC Secretary Sateesh H Y.

Sources estimate that the prices of one of the most sought-after chillies could remain high all through the year as there is a limited supply of quality yield.

Tur, an essential product, has witnessed a nearly 50 per cent rise in its price over the last year. According to Hanmantraya Totnalli, a member of the Tur Dal Millers’ Association, last year the wholesale price of tur was Rs 90 per kg. However, this year it is being sold for Rs 140 per kg. The retail price of the tur dal is around Rs 160 to Rs 180 a kg.

The prices of other daily needs such as jeera (which was sold for Rs 250 per kg in January, and is now being sold for Rs 650 per kg), horse gram (Rs 60 in Jan; Rs 90 June), moong dal (Rs 95 in Jan; Rs 125 in June) are being sold at exorbitant prices in Bengaluru wholesale market.