Markets in Bengaluru were bustling with customers during the weekend ahead of Ugadi on Tuesday. However, the festival spirit has been slightly dampened by the increase in the prices of vegetables, fruits, and flowers owing to the supply crunch caused by the drought and the heat conditions.
The price of beans, which was ₹50 to ₹60 per kg in wholesale markets around two weeks ago, has gone up to ₹70 per kg, whereas carrots which were selling between ₹40 and ₹50 per kg are now selling at ₹60 and ₹70 per kg. Prices of other vegetables like capsicum, brinjal, and tomato have gone up by ₹10 per kg.
Traders note that while the prices of capsicum and carrot have particularly gone up this season, they also have to throw away a lot of carrots are they are rotting quickly owing to the heat. “Owing to heat damage, a lot of the unsold vegetables have to be disposed of quickly,” said Zakhir A., a vegetable vendor at K.R. Market.
The prices of flowers on the other hand have doubled for the festival. Button roses and sevanthige (chrysanthemums) are both selling at ₹300 per kg while jasmine and kanakambara (crossandra) are selling at ₹800 to ₹1,000 per kg.
Speaking about the reason for the price rise, Shivanna, a flower trader in K.R. Market, said: “The limited produce because of the heat and water has affected the markets this year”.
With Ramzan going on, the prices of fruits have been fluctuating the last month. There has been a rise in the sale of oranges, apples, grapes, and mangoes, traders noted.
On Sunday, the prices of some fruits had gone up by ₹50 per kg. Apples, which were previously priced at ₹160 per kg, were selling at ₹220 per kg at Russel Market in Shivajinagar. Some mango varieties which were being sold at ₹150 were also selling at ₹200 per kg on Sunday.
With cultivation going down by almost 50% in the major horticulture belt around Bengaluru, the prices of vegetables, fruits, and flowers have been up for quite some time now. In the absence of rain, these prices are expected to go further up in the upcoming weeks.
