Kolkata: After sugar and onions, vegetables are beginning to squeeze household budgets, with prices of several everyday kitchen staples rising by 50% to 100% in just 10 days as incessant rain inundates farmland, damages crops and disrupts supply to city markets.Household kitchen budgets have gone haywire as prices of one essential after another climb steadily. On Tuesday, onions touched Rs 60 per kg, doubling from Rs 30 10 days ago, while retail sugar prices have also surged sharply over the past few days. With vegetables now joining the upward spiral, families are being forced to spend significantly more on everyday cooking, cut quantities or rejig menus to keep monthly grocery expenses under control.Pointed gourd, okra and ridge gourd have all climbed to Rs 60/kg from Rs 30-40 on Aug 15, while bitter gourd has risen from Rs 40 to Rs 60/kg. Pumpkin is up from Rs 40 to Rs 50 and tomatoes from Rs 30 to Rs 40/kg. The sharpest increase has been in okra and ridge gourd, whose prices have doubled from Rs 30 to Rs 60/kg.Market insiders blamed the surge on prolonged rain that has left vegetable-growing areas under water, damaged standing crops and accelerated spoilage. They also pointed to a widening gap between wholesale and retail prices, alleging that multiple layers of intermediaries were adding to the burden on consumers when supplies were tight.Manik Mandal of Behala Old market said vegetables arriving at wholesale markets were not only fewer but often of poorer quality. “High humidity and waterlogging mean vegetables rot faster during transportation and storage, forcing sellers to factor wastage into retail prices.”Supplies from vegetable-growing belts around Kolkata and adjoining districts have also been affected. When local production declines, traders have to source vegetables from farther away, even from neighbouring states, adding transportation and handling costs.“The kitchen budget has simply gone out of control. Onions have doubled in barely 10 days, sugar has become costlier and now most vegetables are also selling at much higher prices. We are buying smaller quantities and changing the daily menu just to keep grocery expenses within our monthly budget,” said Anita Biswas, Parnashree homemaker.There is, however, some relief in two commodities that had caused the biggest shock earlier this month. Green chillies, which had touched Rs 200/kg, have dropped to around Rs 80, while brinjal has fallen sharply from Rs 120 to Rs 60/kg.“Vegetable prices react quickly to weather shocks because these are highly perishable commodities. Prolonged rain and waterlogging damage crops, reduce market arrivals and increase post-harvest losses. When local supply falls, traders have to source from farther away, adding transport costs. Prices may remain firm until the fields drain and fresh supplies begin reaching the markets,” said agro-economist Soumitra Dutta.Traders said the direction of prices over the next few weeks would depend largely on rainfall and how quickly fields drain. If waterlogging persists, fresh sowing and harvesting could be delayed, keeping supplies tight.
