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.
