Unseasonal rain in March has led to a sharp rise in vegetable prices across North India. Widespread and persistent rain throughout the month has affected major Rabi crops thereby flattening hopes of a bumper crop harvest. The situation is expected to worsen if rainy conditions continue to persist over the next few days.
As per reports, vegetable gardens of chillies, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, and tomato have been destroyed across Gujarat and Maharashtra. Several parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab have also been impacted by the untimely rain.
There has been a 30 to 40% increase in prices of vegetables at Delhi’s wholesale markets as well. This is due to an acute shortage as crops are not being retrieved from the fields because of stagnant water. The fact that the crops lying in the fields are expected to rot due to persistent rains is not helping the situation either. Perishable items, both vegetables and fruits, are the worst affected.
The prices of green vegetables such as cabbage, brinjal, and cauliflower, have almost doubled over the past weekend in the national capital. Cauliflower, which goes at ₹12 to 14 per kg in the wholesale market touched ₹ 20 per kg on Sunday. Similarly, the wholesale price of brinjal also settled at an increased rate of around ₹ 20-25 per kg at Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi. This sharp rise in rates of these vegetables is being attributed to shortage of supply due to heavy rains in some states.
