Following incessant rain in the past few days, vegetables prices are likely to go up owing to its thin supply.
Heavy showers accompanied by high-velocity winds have badly affected the vegetables already sown; besides waterlogging has damaged the fields prepared for further plantation of vegetables.
Traders claimed that it would create a shortage of supply and the prices would go up.
According to farmers, vegetable gardens of chilly, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower and tomato have been ruined in various parts of the state.
However, those who are into farming of kharif crops like rice and maize are happy as the heavy rain will be beneficial to these.
To save vegetable gardens, farmers were seen trying to remove water from the fields. In Fatehgarh Sahib, a large number of farmers of Bassi Pathana and surrounding areas grow vegetables. Many of them are migrants who work on the land on contract.
Ram Kumar, a farmer, said the farming of cauliflower is at its peak nowadays and many farmers had prepared their land for cauliflower. However, if rain gods don't relent, they will have to wait and prepare the land again.
Jasveer Singh and Kuljit Singh, residents of Jakhlera Kheri village, said the leaves of vegetables are thin and could not grow in stationary water. To let them grow they had to remove all water from the fields. Moreover, if they did not remove the water, they would face an economic crisis as they had spent more than Rs 20,000 per acre on cauliflower farming. The delay in the produce would lead to a shortage of supply which would increase the price by Rs 2 to Rs 3 per kg, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Jasveer Singh and Kuljit Singh, residents of Jakhlera Kheri village, said the leaves of vegetables are thin and could not grow in stationary water. To let them grow they had to remove all water from the fields. Moreover, if they did not remove the water, they would face an economic crisis as they had spent more than Rs 20,000 per acre on cauliflower farming. The delay in the produce would lead to a shortage of supply which would increase the price by Rs 2 to Rs 3 per kg, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Rahul Kumar, a vegetable trader, claimed that the vegetables which were in demand would see an increase in price by Rs 3 to Rs 4 per kg, whereas the cauliflower price would increase almost by Rs 8 per kg.
Meanwhile, according to a weather forecast, rain will not permit vegetable farming for a few more days, leading to heavy loss to farmers and vegetable traders.
An agriculture expert said the rain is bad for vegetables but would produce good quality of paddy.