Veggies costlier, reason unclear

NEW DELHI: After two weeks, the floods have hit home. Vegetable prices, which were expected to rise due to crop and road damage, have soared in the past few days. Tomatoes are Rs 90/kg in north Delhi; capsicum is at Rs 110/kg in east Delhi. Even potatoes are retailing above Rs 20/kg across the city. While hawkers blame the bad weather, in the wholesale hub of Azadpur Mandi, agents say, prices haven't changed at all. Are the prices up because of profiteering by retailers?

TOI visited many localities on Wednesday and found vegetable prices have increased 2-4 times. And the rates differ between colonies depending on residents' paying capacity. At times, the price difference goes up to Rs 50 for the same vegetable.

In their defence, hawkers say the rains have not only affected the availability of vegetables but also their quality: a lot of produce is not fit to sell. Ram Singh, who sells only tomatoes at his shop in Indra Market, is charging Rs 80/kg. "We used to buy tomatoes from Punjab and the Karnal region but now the produce arrives only from Shimla and Nainital," he said, referring to the high cost of transportation. Capsicum has become a luxury, especially in east Delhi (supplied from Ghazipur Mandi). In west Delhi, where stocks arrive from the Azadpur Mandi, it is cheaper.

The high prices have also changed the buying pattern. "People have stopped buying in large quantities. They only buy around 250-500 grams of everything," said Suresh, a vegetable vendor in Sarojini Nagar. "I avoid vegetable shops in and around upscale colonies as they always charge more than the market rate," said Anand Prakash, resident of Palam Vihar.

Organized retailers such as Reliance and Safal, though, continue to sell at near-wholesale rates, with tomatoes at Rs 45-50/kg. But many people still prefer to buy from hawkers. "The big stores neither bargain nor give regular customers a better deal," said Smita Khurana, resident of Rajouri Garden. Tomatoes are at Rs 90/kg in Model Town, north Delhi that has a large student population. "The main market is quite far, so we have to make do with the local vendors for our everyday supplies," said Neel Jha, resident of Hudson Lane.

The wholesalers in Azadpur Mandi have a different take on the situation. "Retailers are earning much more than what they should. Our supplies come mainly from the neighbouring regions of Haryana and Punjab, and these have not been affected much by the Uttarakhand floods. Road transport has become a hassle, but this is just an excuse to drive up rates," said Surender Kohli, president of the mandi's Vegetable and Fruits Trading Association.

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