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Vegetable prices in Chandigarh skyrocket after record-breaking September rains
Capsicum, peas and green chillis are the worst affected, with their prices spiking by ₹40 to ₹60 per kg over the past one month
The damage caused to crops by the record-breaking rains in the region in September has translated into low vegetable supply that has pushed their prices up.
Capsicum, peas and green chillis are the worst affected, with their prices spiking by ₹40 to ₹60 per kg over the past one month.
Capsicum price recorded the biggest jump, going up from ₹90 per kg a month back to ₹150 per kg now. This is almost equal to the exotic bell peppers sold by farmers that usually sell for much higher rates — ₹180 per kg — than the standard green capsicum.
Speaking about why this happened, one of the mandi advisers for the Punjab Mandi Board, Harpreet Singh said, “The supply has reduced ever since the heavy rains in the region in September. The local crop was largely damaged and even vegetables like capsicum that are brought to the city from other places have become much more expensive due to shortage.”
He, however, added that the situation had started stabilising now. “Just last week, the price of cauliflower had touched ₹90 per kg and tomato was priced at ₹70 per kg. Now their prices have started to fall.”
On Monday, the price of both cauliflower and tomato at the apni mandi in Sector 45 was ₹50 per kg.
Vegetables like green chillis and peas, which are also brought to the city from Himachal Pradesh, have also seen a significant increase. Compared to ₹60 per kg, kitchen-staple green chillis are being sold for ₹100 per kg now. Similarly, the price of peas has also shot up by ₹40 over the past one month, going up from ₹160 to ₹200.
Onions, which had stayed between ₹20 to 25 per kg since the beginning of 2022, have also gotten expensive for the first time this year, with a price jump of ₹5 per kg. However, with fresh supply from Nashik coming to the city soon, onions are likely to get cheaper again. The price of potatoes, meanwhile, has remained consistent at ₹25 per kg.
