Khammam: Calamities lead to steep increase in vegetable prices

Vegetable production this rainy season was just 600 metric tons against the expected 14,000 metric tons

Khammam: Continuous rains, floods and lockdown hit the production of vegetables and leafy greens' production in erstwhile Khammam district. As a result, the vegetable prices have gone up causing trouble for common and middle-class people.

According to officers, they expected about 14,000 metric tons of vegetable production this rainy season, but, only 600 metric tons have been produced in both Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts. During the lockdown, the vegetable farmers incurred huge losses as markets had been closed.

A vegetable trader in Khammam, K Kondalu said that till March 2020, prices were stable, but during the lockdown and after it was lifted, the prices started increasing. Many farmers who had been cultivating commercial crops like chilly and cotton switched to vegetables to overcome their losses, but this year they again suffered with huge losses in vegetable cultivation.

Most of the small and marginal farmers have been leading their families by cultivating vegetables in both the districts for many years now. But the untimely rains hit us badly and threw us onto streets, said B Venkanna, a distressed farmer.

Farmers have been appealing the State government to rescue them from the present crisis by supporting them financially. Prior to the lockdown tomato costed Rs 10 per kg, but now it is Rs 60 per kg, Cucumber was Rs 10 and now Rs 30, Brinjal costed Rs 12, now it is Rs 60, Ridge Gourd was Rs 22 but now costs Rs 80, Ladyfinger was Rs 22 that costs Rs 60 at present, Bottle Gourd was Rs 8, now costs Rs 40, Onion prices have increased from Rs 15 to Rs 60. P Aparna, a homemaker in Bhadrachalam said that prices increased abnormally and we are unable to purchase them.