Indian vegetable prices tend to be higher in summer due to the shortage in supply, but prices have started to increase even earlier this year, as temperatures have been high since the first week of April. The heat wave across northern and western India is responsible for pushing up vegetable prices, particularly the green leafy kinds, across cities and towns.
India Meteorological Department has forecast that the current phase of intense heat would continue for a few more days over western Rajasthan, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala.
Vegetables tend to get damaged faster during summer because of inadequate storage facilities.
Data sourced from the consumer affairs department and agmarket.nic.in showed capsicum, green pea, tomato and pointed gourd are 20-50 per cent more expensive than last year in many cities.
In Kolkata, one kg of tomato has increased in price by Rs 14 in the past month, while in Chennai, it has become dearer by Rs 21 in the same period.
While the prices of potato and onion have remained largely stable during the same period, that of other commodities remains a concern.
Agmarket data showed capsicum 70 per cent costlier in Mumbai during the week ended May 1 compared to the same period last year. Bottle gourd and cabbage prices have been on the higher side in the Azadpur wholesale market of Delhi and in the wholesale market of Mumbai during the week ended May 1 compared to the year-ago period.
Carrot prices in the wholesale markets of Delhi were 16 per cent dearer; in Kolkata, these were 24 per cent costlier.
Green chilli, another vegetable which gets damaged quickly during summer, was 30-60 per cent costlier in the main wholesale markets of Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai during the April 25 to May 1 week compared to the same period last year.
