Short supply hits vegetable prices in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The prices of some vegetables have been going up steadily over the past month in view of the shortfall of crop at local areas and suppliers from neighbouring states looking elsewhere for better prices. Locally grown vegetables like tomato, teasel gourd (kantola), green chillies, cauliflower and carrot were affected last month due to the rains.

The case of tomato is particularly interesting. It was being sold at such low prices that farmers were dumping tomatoes rather than bring it to the markets. It is now retailing in supermarkets at prices up to Rs 120 depending on the quality.

The city depends on Karnataka and Madanapalle in Chittoor district during the off-season for some of its vegetables is not getting enough of it. According to an official at the the agricultural market committee, the city needs about 700 quintals of tomato per day. During the season, the surrounding districts and other states supply up to 750 quintals per day. But arrivals to the city’s markets have plunged to 400 quintals per day, jacking up the prices.

Mr K.R. Vijay Kumar, estate officer at the Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazaar, said tomato farmers from Bengaluru and Madan-apalle were sending crops to other states as they were getting better prices. “Usually the arrivals from Karnataka and Madanapalle fill the gap during off season. We are expecting local crop to arrive in the markets from the first week of August and the prices will come down,” he said.

Mr M. Yadaiah, who grows carrots in Chevella, said, “During rains we don’t harvest the vegetables to avoid damaging it. We are expecting to collect the yield later on.” Mr Vijay Kumar said that a similar reason was behind the increase in prices of few other vegetables like green chillies, capsicum, lady’s finger, green mangoes. But, the prices of non-local vegetables like French beans, pumpkin, potato, onions, cucumber etc., are stable.