30 July, Srinagar: In Kashmir, where expenses are already going up, consumers are feeling the pressure even more as a result of increased vegetable prices.
Every family uses staple veggies, whose prices have significantly increased. The two weeks of torrential rain that have lashed Kashmir have also had an impact on local production and driven up prices.
Collard green is sold for between Rs 70 and Rs 80 per kilogramme, gourd costs Rs 70, bitter gourd costs Rs 120 per kilogramme, peas cost Rs 120/kg, and brinjal costs Rs 80/kg.
The last two weeks of nonstop rain in Kashmir have reduced the yield of local agricultural crops, increased the cost of vegetables on the market, and placed a burden on imports to meet local demand.
People from all walks of life in Srinagar expressed dissatisfaction with the sharp hikes in the cost of essentials like fruits and vegetables.
“Saag costs between Rs 60 and Rs 80 per kilogramme. It’s plunder, says Srinagar resident Ajaz Ahmad, who also notes that vegetable costs have soared.
Customers said that in the absence of a formal monitoring system, vegetable vendors charged them what their sweet inclinations dictated.
“Poor consumers have no choice but to buy things, no matter how expensive they are, because no one cares about their plight,” said Muhammad Shafi, a local.
Surprisingly, the majority of customers criticise stores for not posting rate lists. A customer standing in front of a store in Soura said, “They don’t follow government rates.”
He said, “It seems that the authorities have given them (shopkeepers) freedom to rob common people.”
The Valley rains, according to wholesale fruit and vegetable sellers, are to responsible for the increase in food prices. According to Bashir Ahmad, President of Fruit Mandi Parimpora, “Our local production has been affected by rains, and there is monsoon in other parts of India, which has impacted vegetable production. As a result, prices have increased and people are feeling the heat due to rising vegetable prices.”
Due to disruptions brought on by irregular monsoon rains, which result in delayed planting and crop damage during the ripening period, farmers and dealers in India anticipate that vegetable prices would stay high for a considerable amount of time.
In addition to making consumers unhappy, price hikes in important commodities like onions, beans, carrots, ginger, chillies, and tomatoes are expected to boost retail inflation. In fact, because of these more costly requirements, retail inflation is predicted to reach a seven-month high in July. The increase in inflation is anticipated to restrict the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) capacity to lower interest rates this year.
