Vegetable sellers make 50 per cent profit

New Delhi: A study of 33 markets across the country has found that on an average, retailers are selling vegetables at more than 48.8 per cent of wholesale prices.

In Centres like Amritsar and Abohar the difference between wholesale and retail price is more than 100 per cent, according to an Assocham study.

The study found that cabbage retail and wholesale price gap has increased from 69.4 per cent to 78.1 per cent, brinjal from 62.4 per cent to 66.7 per cent while cauliflower is 59 per cent higher than the wholesale price, among other vegetables. It further reveals that Surat retail and wholesale price gap has increased from 49.7 per cent to 50.8 per cent, Lucknow 48.5 per cent to 54.8 per cent, Shimla 37.9 per cent to 47.3 per cent, Jammu 37.5 per cent to 42.4 per cent and Chennai 34.6 per cent to 37.3 per cent, among other cities.

ASSOCHAM  said that the analysis is based on the wholesale price of vegetables and retail price of vegetables in the different markets in India. “Wholesale price indicates the price at which retailers are buying from different markets and retail price is the price at which consumers are buying from retailers,” it said.

The study observed that onion arrival grew at a rate of 13 per cent during 2013-14 followed by tomato which grew at a rate of 7.9 per cent and potato fresh arrival grew at a rate of 6.2 per cent. Ladyfinger and Cauliflower arrivals have recorded marginal gro-wth rate of 0.4 per cent and 1.9 per cent, during the same period, mentioned the study. Meanwhile, a study conducted by PHD Chamber of Commerce found that deficient South-West monsoon may hit kharif crops yield and stoke food inflation.