Khammam: Heavy rains trigger veggies' price spiral

Khammam: Both Covid-19 and the recent continuous rains made the vegetables prices to spiral up in the erstwhile Khammam district. Common and middle-class people are afraid to buy vegetables, whose prices were almost doubled and close to the prices of chicken and fish in August month.

K Srinivas Rao, a vegetable trader in Khammam, said that normally the vegetables prices will increase in April, May, October and November months every year due to decrease in production. But, for the first time the rates have increased abnormally due to floods, he added.

Vegetable farmer from Kandukur villag of Vemsoor mandal B Venkat Reddy said that vegetable crops were damaged due to the continuous rains and the rates increased due to less production. Another farmer from Aswapuram mandal K Rama Rao said there is huge shortage of vegetables supply in the market as almost all these crops were submerged in rainwater. Floods to Godavari River came twice and majority vegetable crops were damaged, he stated.

N Sumathi, housewife from Bhadrachalam, said that before floods and rains, ladies finger price was Rs 40 and after floods it increased to Rs 70 per kg. Likewise, tomato per kg was Rs 30 before and Rs 70 per kg now, ridge gourd per kg Rs 40 and now Rs 90, chilly was Rs 40 and now Rs 90, potato per kg was Rs 40 and now Rs 60, beans was Rs 30 and now Rs 70 per kg, onions were Rs 15 and now it is Rs 35 per kg.

Traders said there is no transportation from Andhra Pradesh due to heavy rains and local crops were damaged due to floods. Hence, we are forced to increase the prices, they said.

Horticulture officer J Mariyanna said this time the rains affected crops badly in some areas.