Steep rise in prices of onions, tomatoes, potatoes in Mumbai pinches pockets

The unseasonal rain has led to a sharp rise in prices of onions, tomatoes and potatoes, main ingredients in a majority of Indian food items, adding to the strain

The unseasonal rain has led to a sharp rise in prices of onions, tomatoes and potatoes, main ingredients in a majority of Indian food items, adding to the strain on household budget of citizens.

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The prices of onions have risen to ₹80-90 for a kg from ₹60 last week. The rate of tomatoes has risen to ₹80 for a kg from ₹60, while price of potato has increased to ₹50 a kg from ₹40. The retreating monsoon hit parts of western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Konkan last week, wreaking havoc on the standing crops which were waiting for harvesting. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is surveying these areas to assess the damage and provide relief to farmers.

Shankar Pingle, director, Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), said there is a shortage of essential items. “Vegetables are brought from Solapur, Sangli, Pune, Satara and Nashik, which are hit by unseasonal rain. The crop has been destroyed, so there is an erratic supply of vegetables,” said Pingle. He said it will take at least 20 days for things to stabilise and the rates to come down.

Citizens feel the price hike has come at the worst time. “How can any household manage without these three items,” asked Naghma Khan Hashmi, a media professional from Oshiwara. “For the past seven months, we hardly earned anything due to lockdown. This hike is unbearable, especially for the poor,” she said, adding the state government should intervene.

Hotels and restaurants also rue the situation.

“The proposed hike has increased our overall costs and we can’t pass this on to our consumers. We have just started our eatery and any increase in rates means loss of consumers,” said Raghav Pai, partner, Saffron Kitchen, a takeaway joint at Powai.