Ranchi/Bokaro: Rising prices of onions, vegetables, sugar and jaggery are squeezing household budgets in Ranchi and Bokaro, with traders blaming monsoon-related supply disruptions and higher wholesale rates.In Ranchi, onions are retailing at Rs 60 per kg, up from Rs 40-45 a week ago and Rs 30 last month. In Bokaro, they cost Rs 50-55 per kg, against Rs 40 recently.Traders at Ranchi’s Naga Baba Khatal wholesale market said arrivals from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra had declined because of weather and transport disruptions.“Where two trucks would normally arrive, we are now getting only one. In a good season, a 50 kg bag costs Rs 18-20 per kg wholesale, but the rate has risen to around Rs 30. If supplies worsen, retail onion prices could touch Rs 80,” wholesaler Vishal Kumar said.He added that onion consumption usually declines during Shravan as some consumers avoid it, but reduced arrivals have kept prices elevated.Other vegetables have also become costlier in Ranchi. Okra has risen from Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg, while radish, sponge gourd, turnip and pointed gourd are selling at around Rs 40. Cauliflower costs nearly Rs 50 per kg, green chillies Rs 20 per 100 grams and capsicum Rs 40 per 250 g.“The cauliflower does not even look fresh, yet we are paying nearly Rs 50 a kg,” said Neelam, a shopper at Kokar market.In Bokaro, sugar has jumped to Rs 69-70 per kg from Rs 50-55 a week ago, while jaggery has increased from Rs 60 to Rs 70. Retailer Sundeep Kumar blamed higher wholesale rates.Residents said the price rise was forcing families to reassess grocery spending ahead of the festive season. “Onion and sugar are daily necessities. If prices continue to rise, families will have to cut spending on other needs,” teacher Ruchika Kumari said.Consumers fear higher input costs could also make sweets costlier during the festive season.
