Vegetable prices soar in Kolkata retail markets ahead of festive season

Kolkata, Sep 29 (IANS) The flood situation in West Bengal has pushed vegetable prices in the retail markets in Kolkata to skyrocket just before the forthcoming prolonged festive season in the state, starting with Durga Puja in the second week of next month.

The worst affected is the price of green chilli, a must ingredient for any staple Bengali diet, which is hovering around Rs 200 a kilogram in most of the retail markets in the state. So is the case with beans which has touched the double-century mark.The second worst affected vegetable in terms of skyrocketing price is capsicum which is priced around Rs 150 per kilogram in most of the retail markets in Kolkata.The price of tomato is also quite high selling around Rs 100 a kilogram in most of the retail markets in the city. Same is the situation with Brinjal which has touched the century mark.On the last but one Sunday before the Durga Puja, the price of fresh Parval (Pointed gourd), quite a common ingredient in the staple Bengali diet, is hovering around Rs 80 a kilogram.

The other staple vegetables like lady finger, ridge gourd and cucumber are also priced at around Rs 80 a kilogram. The price of carrots is hovering around Rs 70 per kilogram.

Even the price of potatoes, the most common ingredient in any diet, is selling between Rs 35 and Rs 40 per kilogram in any city retail market in the city.A member of the task force constituted by the state government to keep the prices of the essential commodities under check said that generally, the prices of vegetables in the retail markets in the state show an upward trend before the festive season which continues till the end.“However, this time the situation has worsened because of the flood situation in the state especially in the vegetable-producing pockets. The supplies are lesser, which is impacting the prices in the retail markets,” the task force member said.