Hyderabad: Veggie prices hit the roof in city

Hyderabad: Despite the fact that vegetables are arriving in abundance every day in the city primary wholesale markets, retail markets and bazaars are witnessing a steep increase in prices of green and leafy vegetables of all varieties.

The price rise is being witnessed in the retail markets ever since the Ugadi and Ramzan festive season. Vegetables like tomato, potato, lady finger, brinjal and onions, considered an important part of staple food, are registering regular arrivals in markets, specially at Gudimalkapur.

Tomato is offered at a rate of Rs.25-30 a kg in city markets, while the price at Gudimalkapur wholesale market is just Rs.600 a quintal, that works out to a retail price of Rs.11-16 a kg. The wholesale market witnessed arrival of 1,645 quintals of tomato on Monday, with the minimum price of Rs.600 a quintal and maximum of Rs.1,200.

Similarly, potato is offered at a price between Rs.30-35 at retail bazaars, while that at wholesale market is minimum Rs.19 and maximum Rs.22 a kg. The Gudimalkapur market saw arrival of 1,223 quintals of potato on Monday with minimum Rs.1,600 a quintal and maximum of Rs.1,800.

While potato is mainly imported from UP, MP and Haryana, besides Nizamabad and Zaheerabad, red juicy tomato is brought to the wholesale market mainly from Ranga Reddy and Nizamabad, besides Madanapally and Anantapur in AP.

Apart from tomato and potato, other seasonal veggies such as brinjal, lady finger, cucumber, cauliflower, green chillies and onion also registered a significant entry into the market on Monday.

Though the prices are arguably rational at the point of arrival at the city's wholesale market, the retail bazaars are cooking it up hard for the citizens to digest. Even seasonal veggies, like tomato and potato, that are up for the grab in city markets considerably on a reasonable rate on general days, are now being sold at exorbitant prices.

Having no other reason to hide under, the retail merchants, as usual, are taking shelter in a gripe of inflation given the recent rise in fuel prices. People are terming it simply a 'victim card' being played while seizing the opportunity.

"Merchants in retails markets are fixing the price of commodities merely seizing the opportunity of festive season, while burning a hole in the pocket of commoners who are already aghast over the increase in fuel prices. No proper monitoring of prices by regulatory authorities is playing into the hands of wayward merchants while adding to the woes of citizens. The GHMC must take appropriate measures to check the merchants from fleecing the citizens at city markets," argued Srinivas Harkara, a senior advocate and founder, City of Terrace Gardens (CTG).