Rama Thilaka, a teacher at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Attukal, estimates that her monthly budget for vegetables has increased by Rs.500 in recent times. Heading home after buying vegetables from a wholesale and retail shop at Chala on Wednesday afternoon, she said that prices had gone up steeply, and she spent upward of Rs.1,250 a month on vegetables alone.
A vegetable vendor at West Fort in the city said the prices of most vegetables had shot up and showed no signs of dipping.
Tomato was selling for Rs.100, bitter gourd for Rs.80, snake gourd for Rs.60, long beans for Rs.80, lady’s finger Rs.80, and capsicum for Rs.100. Local brinjal cost Rs.60, and local long beans for Rs.110. Carrots, yam, Indian cucumber, and bananas all cost more, he said.
At Karamana, a retail vendor said long beans cost Rs.100, snake gourd Rs.50, Indian cucumber Rs.34, tomato Rs.85, cabbage Rs.50, and beetroot Rs.60, and new potatoes Rs.50.
The price of lady’s finger had come down a bit though. Fruits too were expensive, with Nendran and Rasa Kadali varieties of bananas selling for Rs.62.
The supply of local vegetables from the Vellayani area was almost negligible, he said.
At a Horticorp stall at DPI where 30 per cent subsidy is available on 15 vegetables, lady’s finger cost Rs.24, bitter gourd Rs.60, long beans Rs.80, Indian cucumber Rs.20, tomato Rs.56, and cabbage Rs.28. Snake gourd cost Rs.44, carrot Rs.40, and Nendran bananas Rs.50.
