Rising vegetable prices in the state during the corona expansion are causing distress to the people. Even when the government says that we are self-sufficient in vegetable production, we have to pay for the vegetables produced within Kerala. There is no shortage of prices even in the government-controlled vegetable market.
The prices of vegetables in the state have started going up sharply after Onam. The wholesale price of tomato has gone up from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per kg. It’s up to 60 when it comes to retailers. Wholesalers attributed the rise in prices to lower harvests due to rains in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Rain-soaked tomatoes perish quickly. They also say that the reason for the increase in prices in the small market is that a box of tomatoes can be damaged up to two kilos.
The wholesale price of bread is up to Rs 45. Retailers are buying up to Rs 70. The wholesale price is Rs 75 per carat. The price of the drumsticks is close to seventy per kilo. Keep an eye on the price of onions. From Rs 25 per kg to Rs 48 per kg. Small onions were priced at Rs 40 per kg and at Rs 80 per kg. In this way, the price of all vegetables goes up. With the financial crisis caused by Kovid, it is doubly distressing for the common man. Vegetable prices have been rising in the state for more than two days.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says that the state is self-sufficient in vegetables. But if the vegetables still do not come from Tamil Nadu or Mysore, the food of the Malayalees will be cut off. Most of the vegetables, including pulses and tubers, are being harvested but are not getting enough, officials said. That is why the prices of vegetables grown in Kerala are going up, say officials.
The government claims to have a comprehensive system in place to protect vegetables from damage and to provide farmers with seeds, fertilizers, and planting materials at affordable prices. But all the vegetables are available only at special times like Onam in places like Horticorp. It is alleged that crores of rupees are being spent to encourage people to cultivate vegetables but they are not benefiting the farmers.
