For many households in Hyderabad and across the State, adding the tangy taste of tomatoes to their daily meal is turning out to be a costly affair, as the prices of the kitchen staple show no sign of easing for the last few weeks.
At supermarkets and Rythu bazaars in the city, prices of the first-grade red fruit have jumped to an unnerving ₹100 per kg, thanks to the tight supply, due to unseasonal rains and inadequate plantation.
“Of course, the price of tomatoes has gone up drastically, and I stopped buying them a week ago, but suddenly I have realised prices of other vegetables too, have skyrocketed by at least 50%, compared to prices in harsh summer days,” said K. Parthasarathy, a retired employee from Vijaynagar Colony. He, along with his grandson, was seen buying their weekly quota of vegetables at Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazaar.
But, at some places, the kitchen staple is sold for anywhere between ₹60 and ₹80. However, vendors maintain that the price depends on the size and quality. “The prices of all vegetables, especially tomatoes, have been on an upward scale for the last few days, and customers are also ruing the rising prices, as it impacts their monthly budget. We cannot help it. We are selling them for the sake of selling at a very low margin, and there is no room for bargain now,” said S.K. Aleem, a vegetable pushcart vendor at First Lancer.
The budget spent on vegetables has gone up by at least four times post COVID. “Two years ago, I used to purchase a bag full of vegetables for ₹500, and now, I can hardly take a plastic carry bag full for the same price. The prices are going beyond our reach,” Saini Rajesh, a private employee, said.
Syed Afzal Ali, who works at a private security agency at Ameerpet, maintains that he stopped buying the vegetable and only adjusts with dal and rice everyday. “For bachelors like me, it is very hard to buy vegetables these days. Even prices of meat is beyond our reach,” he lamented.
The prices of green chillis rose from ₹60 to ₹100 and ₹140 per kg, while brinjal’s cost ₹50 to ₹70 per kg. Radish price has gone up to ₹100 per kg, and cucumber was selling for ₹50 per kg.
