New Delhi:
An unreasonable hike in vegetable prices has added to the woes of common man in New Delhi. The reason for rise in the prices is said to be the early monsoon that has caused a shortage of supply.
Capsicum and tomatoes are being sold at four times the regular price. Rates of potatoes have also gone high.
Mumbai too has seen a steep increase in prices and bad rains are blamed for it. The tomato now costs Rs 50, Green peas Rs 10, Brinjal Rs 80 and Potato Rs 40.
Tomato prices, which have more than tripled in the past 15 days to Rs 60 per kg in the capital, may continue to pinch consumers after rains in some producing states affected supplies.
"Supply of tomato has been affected as harvesting has been hampered due to continuous rains in some states like Haryana," Horticulture Commissioner Gorakh Singh told PTI.
Rain has disrupted picking operations in Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and east Punjab, while the condition of the crop has also deteriorated, he said.
Noting that the state governments are assessing the quantum of damage to crops, Singh said normally, vegetable prices remain slightly high during the rainy season because of picking, transportation and storage problems.
(With PTI inputs)
