Low production to blame for spiraling veggie prices: The Tribune India

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 2

Rain spell during the last two weeks has caused a loss of production of vegetables resulting in spiraling of their prices. At present, no seasonal vegetable is selling below Rs 50 per kg.

Seasonal vegetables such as ladyfinger, gourds, french beans and other vegetables have become unaffordable for poor people. While ladyfinger is available at Rs 80 per kg, french beans is costing Rs 60 per kg. Even gourds are priced between Rs 50 and Rs 70.

Farmers say that rain has resulted in washing the flowers off the plants as a result of which the production has fallen. Standing crops of vegetables or their nurseries have been battered by heavy rains.

“Moreover, the growth of weeds in vegetable fields increases with rain. It is not feasible for vegetable growers to weed them out and most of them prefer to uproot plants and sow basmati crop,” said Beant Singh, a vegetable grower.

In the district, vegetables are grown mostly in pockets close to the city. Some of these vegetable belts are near Jandiala, Mehta and Bohru. The farmers say with the paddy crop standing in nearby fields and humidity reaching a high level, the number of attack by pest on egetables also increases.

“For local vegetable growers, the next vegetable season will begin with the sowing of winter season vegetables, which starts after the harvesting of early sown paddy varieties,” said Jeewan Singh, another farmer.

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