Vegetables in Delhi Become Expensive: Prices up by 50%

Vegetable prices in wholesale markets in the national capital have risen by at least 50 per cent in the last one week due to export of key vegetables to Pakistan, says an APMC member. "Prices in the wholesale were more or less stable during last month, but with the start of this month prices have started to increase due to supply constraints as key vegetables like tomatoes are being exported to Pakistan," Azadpur Mandi APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee) member Mahinder Kumar said. Kumar added that prices of tomatoes have doubled in last one week from Rs 10-15 per kg to Rs 25-30 per kg. Besides tomatoes, other vegetables which are exported to neighbouring country are peas, capsicum and lady finger. Peas which were available in the wholesale markets across Delhi for Rs 20 per kg is now being sold around Rs 30 per kg and similarly the prices of capsicum have gone upto Rs 70 per kg from Rs 45 per kg a week ago, Kumar said. Traders at the ADP Mandi added that wholesale prices of Potato have also increased to Rs 20 per kg from Rs 10-15 per kg a week ago. However, the prices of one of the key vegetable, onion, is more or less stable around Rs 15-20 per kg. Another APMC member Surrender Bukhara said, "Despite the increase in prices of other vegetables, the onion prices are stable at present."