Veggies to be pricier for a month in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Prices of vegetables and fruits have skyrocketed in the past few days across the state because of hostile weather conditions.

Officials from the Horticulture Department and Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (Hopcoms) have warned that this may continue for a month.

While a kg of beans is now being sold for Rs 220 in Hopcoms outlets in the city, the prices hover between Rs 250 and Rs 290 a kg in the retail market. Similarly, the prices of coriander leaves hover between Rs 280 and Rs 320 a kg in Hopcoms outlets. In the retail market, coriander leaves are now being sold in bunches and each bunch costs Rs 100. Methi leaves are sold for Rs 220 a kg in Hopcoms outlets. But in the retail market, a bunch costs Rs 120-150. Ginger and garlic in Hopcoms outlets are sold for Rs 195 and Rs 338 a kg, respectively.

Homemakers are crying foul over the rising prices of vegetables. “Tomatoes, carrots, drumsticks and other vegetables have become expensive. Moreover, their quality is not good,” Ridhima K, a homemakerm said.

Umesh Mirji, managing director of Hopcoms, said the prices are high because of the extreme weather conditions. The high temperatures followed by sudden rain have damaged the crops. Bengaluru gets its supply of fruits and vegetables from Ramanagara, Kolar, Channapatna, Devanahalli and nearby areas. It takes 30-45 days for horticultural crops to grow. The prices of vegetables are high now because of poor supply, he added.

An official from the horticulture department said the crops are not ready for harvest now. They will take more than a month to grow. “The supply from other states is also less because similar weather conditions prevail there. Besides, farmers have started looking at other crops instead of horticulture. Hence, the area under cultivation has reduced. At present, the total area under horticulture is 27.14 lakh hectares in the state,” he said.