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Heatwave drives up vegetable prices in Chandigarh
On Sunday, onions, a kitchen staple, were being sold for ₹50 per kg at Chandigarh’s apni mandis, a significant hike from ₹40 per kg on June 12; the rates at retail shops were even higher at ₹60 per kg
In a double whammy for residents, the unrelenting heatwave conditions over the past two weeks have also started to impact their pockets, with not just the temperature but the prices of vegetables also soaring.
On Sunday, onions, a kitchen staple, were being sold for ₹50 per kg at the city’s apni mandis, a significant hike from ₹40 per kg on June 12. The rates at retail shops were even higher at ₹60 per kg.
Besides onions, the prices of other vegetables have also surged significantly. Ten days ago, capsicum was available for ₹70 per kg, but now, it’s costing a pricey ₹100 per kg. Even ladyfingers are now costing ₹60 per kg against ₹50 per kg 10 days ago. In the same period, the price of tomatoes rose from ₹30 per kg to at ₹40 per kg.
Exotic vegetables have not been spared either. Coloured bell peppers are currently priced at ₹180 per kg, while broccoli costs ₹200 per kg.
Harpreet Singh, a supervisor of Punjab Mandi Board in Chandigarh, commented, “The production of locally grown vegetables has decreased due to the increase in temperature and heatwave conditions. When local production stops, we import vegetables from hilly areas, leading to a steep hike in the rates.”
Singh added that the rates were expected to climb even higher in the coming days, as the monsoon rains could further adversely affect vegetable production.
A vegetable dealer explained that as the temperature soared, the production was hit, even though the demand remained the same, thus the prices went up. This phenomenon can be explained using the demand-supply chain principle of economics: if there are more takers for any commodity compared to a market’s production capacity, the prices will rise. Conversely, if the number of takers is less than the production capacity, the prices will dip.
With the weather department predicting monsoon onset by the end of the week, consumers are bracing for continued high prices and potential further increases, adding to the financial strain on households.
