Lucknow: Vegetable prices soar, traders blame high fuel cost and rains

Hike in fuel prices and monsoon rains have pushed prices of vegetables up in Lucknow hitting the common man hard. The impact of rising prices is more pronounced in the wake of financial crunch accentuated by coronavirus pandemic.

India Today did a reality check at the Gomti Nagar vegetable market where prices of tomato, potato and green vegetables have risen in the past one week.

According to Uday Raj, a wholesale vegetable trader one kg of tomatoes in the wholesale market now costs Rs 70 against the earlier price of Rs 50. Similarly, capsicum that used to sell at Rs 70 per kg not costs Rs 100. Price of ladyfinger per kg has risen from Rs 12 per kg to Rs 18 per kg and of brinjal from Rs 30 per kg to Rs 45 per kg. Apart from onion, prices of all the other vegetables have risen significantly.

“The reason behind soaring vegetable prices is hike in the prices of fuels pushing the transportation cost upward. The rains have damaged vegetable crops causing shortage in the market, and hence pushing up the prices,” said Mateen Ahmed, another wholesale vegetable trader.

Ahmed said, “There is still a disruption in supply chain due to the rise in Covid-19 cases. Our business has come down by 25 per cent. Not many people are coming to the market to buy vegetables including the vendors.”

“I work as a marketing manager in a private firm. During the lockdown period, I wasn’t paid salary and now when restrictions have been relaxed the earning has reduced due to the slowdown in the market. The rise in vegetable prices has impacted my monthly budget. I would urge the government to take effective measures to bring down prices of essential commodities to provide us some relief,” said Ashok Sharma, a consumer in the vegetable market.