Vegetable prices in New Delhi have continued their upward trend in recent weeks after heavy rains damaged harvests in India key producing states.
Vegetable supply is short by around 25 per cent because of the prolonged monsoon rains in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, according to local media reports.
Prices for capsicum, potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, onions and peas have spiked as a result in Azadpur market in New Delhi – Asia’s largest fresh produce wholesale market.
Potatoes were selling at Rs22-25 per kg in retail outlets in Delhi, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI), while peas and capsicums were retailing for Rs100 per kg.
Okra was selling for around Rs60 per kg, and tomatoes and cauliflower were going for Rs40 a kg in grocery stores, the PTI report said.
While wholesalers have reportedly blamed retailers for price gouging, prices in the wholesale markets were still high.
Potatoes were wholesaling for Rs15 per kg, cauliflower for Rs24 per kg, peas for Rs70, capsicum for Rs60, onions for Rs17.50 and okra for Rs22 per kg.
The situation for tomatoes was particularly bad, according to the Tomato Traders Association Treasurer Surendra Kumar, who told PTI around 60-70 per cent of the tomato crop had been damaged in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
