Vegetables Prices Surge Due to Rising Fuel Prices and Crop Damages

Vegetable prices in the city's wholesale and retail markets have risen as a result of crop damage in Karnataka and Maharashtra caused by the heavy rains and high fuel prices, said vegetable sellers.

According to them, the price increase in wholesale rates for the vegetables was between Rs 10- 15 per kg, while it was about Rs 15-20 per kg in the retail market. If the current trend continues, vegetable dealers predict that these commodities will become more expensive in the following weeks. 

Tomato and onion prices have raised, according to Ramesh Sahu, a vegetable seller in Laxmi Nagar said that, "Today, tomato prices range between Rs 50 and Rs 55 per kg, compared to approximately Rs 40 per kg previously." Similarly, onion prices have risen, with prices currently hovering at Rs 50 per kg, up from roughly Rs 35-40 per kg previously”, He said that it was due to a rise in wholesale pricing.

Monu Paswan, a vegetable vendor in Greater Kailash-1, said that good-quality tomatoes were selling for Rs 55-60 per kg, while onions were selling for Rs 50-55 per kg.

"Due to a lack of supply, rates have risen in the last week." We are buying vegetables at greater prices in the wholesale markets, which has a knock-on impact on retail marketplaces," Paswan said.

Due to a scarcity of supply, wholesale prices of essential vegetables like onion and tomato have increased by around Rs 10-15 per kg, according to S P Gupta, chairman of Ghazipur Wholesale Vegetable and Fruit Market.

He claims that Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka supply the majority of the onion and tomato to the national capital. "Onion and tomato crops in Karnataka and Maharashtra were devastated by severe rains. As a result of the loss in supply, rates have risen.

"Right now, onion wholesale price is approximately Rs 40 per kg, while tomato wholesale price is Rs 900 each crate weighing 25 kg," said Gupta.

He went on to say that a wholesale onion pricing at the Ghazipur mandi used to be about Rs 20-25 per kg. Similarly, wholesale tomato prices used to be in the Rs 16-Rs 20 per kg area, but are now Rs 35-36 per kg. Gupta went on to say that onion is now predominantly delivered to Delhi from Indore.

Haji Yamin, a wholesale merchant in Okhla Mandi, said tomato and onion prices have risen by around Rs 20 per kg. He said that wholesale onion prices at Okhla Mandi used to be around Rs 20 per kg, but that they had suddenly doubled.

Another merchant at Okhla Mandi, Mohammad Ibrar, said that the situation with tomato was similar, since it is now being sold at a wholesale price of Rs 30-40 per kg, up from Rs 15-20 per kg previously.

Traders also said that, in addition to the rains in southern India, the rise in fuel prices was making vegetables more expensive owing to increased transportation costs.

Crops in southern Indian states were devastated by rainfall, according to Yamin, thus prices for such goods have risen here. But this isn't the only explanation for the current situation.

"The cost of transporting vegetables has increased due to rising fuel prices, particularly diesel. As a result, in addition to the supply deficit, the increased transportation costs are now having an influence on the price of vegetables in both wholesale and retail sectors "he stated.