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Delhi

After tomato, peas prices hit the roof, selling at Rs 160/kg

Spiralling prices of essential commodities, mainly green vegetables have driven many items off the dining table. 

People belonging to the low and middle income groups have been hit hard as prices of most items have registered two to three folds hike. Amid soaring trends, there is no respite as traders of various mandis of Delhi-NCR claim more increase in the coming weeks due to huge shortage in supply. 

After potatoes, onions and tomatoes, prices of peas have touched all-time high in retail market and is selling above Rs 160 per kg. Owing to poor supply from neighbouring states, other green vegetables have also left Delhiites in trouble these days.

The rates have shot up in the wholesale and retail markets as supply has gone down due to unprecedented rain in vegetable producing states. More increase in prices in the coming days have been predicted because rains have washed away crops and fresh arrivals will be ensured only after a period of 45 days. The vegetable sellers of retail markets said that due to the stoppage of supply from neighbouring states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Western Uttar Pradesh,  supply from wholesale markets has reduced to 50 per cent while rates have doubled. South Delhi is the worst affected area till now.

While peas are available at a price of Rs 160 to Rs 180 per kg, tomatoes are being sold above Rs 70 per kg. Onion, which drew nationwide attention due to sudden spike, is still being sold at a price of Rs 50 per kg. The cheapest vegetable available now is potatoes, costing about Rs 20 per kg. 

In various mandis, gourd has almost doubled in the last fortnight and is trading at Rs 30-35 per kg while cauliflowers and brinjals are available at Rs 30-45 and Rs 30-40 a kg respectively. Coriander and lemon are also being sold at something between Rs 150 and Rs 200 per kg while of cucumber has touched Rs 40 per kg mark that has almost doubled in two-week’s time. As per the report, only Safal outlets have been selling vegetables at Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kg below the market price.

Traders said that mandis of neighboring states have little quantity available for sale. Currently, vegetables are being supplied from remote areas and are being sold at high prices due to increased cost of transportation. 

Apart from this, hike in diesel and petrol prices in the state have also added to the consumers’ woes. “As farmers of neighbouring states have stopped supplying vegetables to the Capital, it has led to a sudden change. In the past two weeks, prices of vegetables have almost doubled,” said Rajendra Sharma, former chairman of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Azadpur Mandi.
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