Bhubaneswar: With the beginning of holy Kartika month, vegetable prices have once again skyrocketed in Odisha with most of them selling at over Rs 150 per kg. The sudden price hike has come as a burden on consumers who are already reeling under the price rise of daily essentials like cooking oil, pulses, rice, and other edible items.
The situation is so bad that vegetables worth Rs 500 are not enough to fill a bag. As per reports, capsicum is being sold at Rs 200/kg, brinjal for Rs 80/kg, beans cost Rs100/kg, spine gourd for Rs 100/kg, tomato for Rs 60/kg, onions for Rs 60/kg and bitter gourd for Rs 60/kg in Bhubaneswar Unit-I market on Thursday.
Even the prices of carrots and beet roots have also risen threefold, forcing the vegetables to go off the menu in kitchens. Moreover, green leafy vegetables are also now beyond the reach of common people.
“The prices have hit record highs in the last 5-10 days. Vegetables that were available for Rs 60-70 have now reached Rs 150/kg. Imagine spine gourd is being sold at Rs 130/kg, capsicum at Rs 150/kg. It was sold for Rs 200/kg yesterday. There are hardly any vegetables that are available below Rs 150/kg,” said a frustrated customer.
It is the middle and lower-income families that have been hit the hardest. While the surge in prices is being attributed to several factors, it is the consumers who are feeling the pinch.
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