Kurnool: Households seek substitutes as vegetable prices soar

Kurnool: Glut and scarcity of tomatoes and onions have been affecting the lives of farmers and consumers.

Farmers rue that they sold tomato at just 50 paise a kg at the time of harvest. But now, it is being sold for Rs 50 per kg.

Similar is the case of onion and other vegetables. Consumers turn inventive, as prices rise steeply. C. Jayamma, a house wife, at Sharif Nagar in Kurnool said that she is now using tamarind, instead of tomato, to cook lentil soup. Another substitute she has discovered is chilly powder instead of green chillies. “How long we will continue like this?” she questioned.

“Price inflation has caused a lot of problems for me. I buy only the necessary quantity  of tomatoes on a daily basis, in order to avoid wastage,” K. Anupama, resident of Venkataramana Colony in Kurnool city, said.

Before elections, tomatoes were sold Rs 16 per kg. Now it has touched Rs 50. Onion too went up from Rs 15 to Rs 35 during the period. While the families are holding their purses tight, vendors too are facing a difficult period.

V. Hanumantharao Chowdary, a vegetable wholesaler in the main market of Kurnool, said that sharp fall was witnessed in sales these days.

“The prices have gone up, that of tomato has particularly seen a steep hike,” he said.

“There is not much difference in the number of customers as vegetables are necessary everyday. But regular customers buy lesser quantity compared to earlier days, due to high price,” Chowdary added.

“The production was low in the district, especially in areas surrounding the district head quarter, on which we largely depend,” said Rangayaa Setty, another seller from C-camp Rythu Bazaar in Kurnool city.

The tale of tomato growers is different. “When we produced and harvested, there were no takers and we had to abandon the crop in the fields as harvesting and marketing was costlier than realisable value,” said M. Narayana Reddy, a farmer of Gudur village.

“On an average, tomato crop was cultivated in nearly 25,000 hectares in the district, but now the crop has grown in just around 1,800 hectares, that too presently the crop is in final harvesting position, “Tirumala Naidu, a tomato farmer from Palakollu village in Orvakal mandal, said. “May be a new crop will enter into markets in the next couple weeks,” he added.