GUWAHATI, Sept 28 � With the festive season approaching, soaring prices of vegetables in the State are creating problems for common people, who find it difficult to cope with the steep price rise of all the essential commodities.
While the consumers are looking for a respite from the current situation, the vegetable dealers are predicting that the prices would increase further till the Durga Puja.
�Incessant rainfalls in many of the vegetable producing areas of Assam and its neighboring States is one of the reasons of the price rise of the vegetables. Moreover, the prices increase at the source every year during the festive season,� a wholesale vegetable dealer of the Machhkhowa vegetable market said.
�However, prices would certainly go down after the festive season as the new crops would come in the market, if the weather is favourable,� he added.
At present, wholesale rate of cauliflower that is produced locally as well as in Shillong is Rs 40 and the retail rate of the same is Rs 50-70, the cabbage comes in the wholesale market for Rs 13 to 15 and is sold in retail at Rs 22-30. Wholesale rate of teasel gourd (bhat karela) is Rs 20, whereas the retail price of the same is around Rs 40.
�Most of the vegetables, grown in the char areas of the State have also become costlier presently as crops were destroyed due to inundation. The wholesale rate of beans is Rs 30, pumpkin is Rs 13-14 per kg and bottle gourd and taro (kachu) is Rs 8 per kg. The rate of green chillies has also gone up to Rs 30 in the wholesale market,� the vegetable vendor said.
The retail rates of these vegetables vary from place to place. In Silpukhuri market the rate of beans is Rs 38-42, whereas in Ganeshguri daily market, it varies from Rs 40-50 per kg.
�The wholesale rates of carrot (Rs 50), ridged gourd or jika (Rs 12-14), bhol (Rs 12-14), cucumber (Rs 12), string beans or lesera (Rs 18-20) are higher than last year�s prices. Significantly, this year, the prices started increasing from the month of March-April due to the rainfall, much ahead of its usual time,� Nasir Ahmed a wholesale vegetable dealer at Fancy Bazar mentioned.
