The prices of vegetables, particularly coriander leaves and tomato, have go through the ceiling in the past few days, officials in the horticulture department have foretold that prices of all vegetables will shoot up in the coming days, if the State does not receive enough rainfall.
Insufficient rainfall coupled with low crop yield will result in unpredictable prices, horticulture and Hopcoms officials said.
“Coriander leaves and tomatoes have become too costly. The average price of coriander leaves used to be Rs 90 to Rs 100 per kg, a week ago, but now the prices have shot up to Rs 165 per kg. Tomatoes are being sold at Rs 26 per kg, now, but a week ago, it was priced Rs 10 per kg,” said a staffer at a Hopcoms outlet.
Yele Srinivas, President of KR Puram Market Association, said: “Farmers used to sell coriander leaves at Rs two per a bunch at KR Puram market. “Now the same is priced at Rs 80. The prices would come down if the State receives at least moderate rainfall,” he added.
He added that the prices might come down in the next two to three weeks.
“We are hoping that within the next 15-20 days, the prices might come down,” he said. However the price of beans has come down from Rs 88 to Rs 62 in the last few days.
There has been more than 30 per cent increase in the prices of vegetables this time compared to the corresponding period of the previous year , maintained a source in the horticulture department.