Prices of essential commodities soar

Mumbai, Aug 20 (UNI) Prices of essential commodities including vegetables, grains and pulses have increased between 25 and 50 per cent per kg at retail markets across the city and its suburbans due to the recent floods in Maharashtra and South Gujarat, and a hike in petrol and diesel prices.

Navi Mumbai-based Essential Commodities Merchants' Association president Mr Navinbhai Maru told UNI that whenever there are heavy rains in Maharashtra and Gujarat, which are major production centres for vegetables, the farmers and traders suffer huge loses because of flash floods and lack of transportation and storage.

Following a hike in fuel prices by the Union Government, transporters too have hiked their charges by 25 per cent per single trip from producing areas to wholesale markets in different parts of the city, he pointed out.

Traders across the city, meanwhile, have welcomed the Government's decision to import essential items. Ironically, spiralling prices could not be controlled even after implementation of Value Added Tax and despite inflation control.

At present, prices of all essential commodities, including grains, vegetables, and pulses have maintained an upward trend due to good retail demand in local and upcountry markets.

''Prices of wheat, rice, jowar, bajra and others have risen between Rs 30 and Rs 50 per kg and are being quoted at Rs 20-50 per kg for wheat, Rs 15-80 per kg for rice and for jowar and bajra the price quoted is at Rs 12-30 and Rs 10-25 per kg respectively.

There are huge stocks of these items at the producing areas like Punjab, MP and UP but stockists were creating an artificial shortage in the retail markets, market sources said. Prices of pulses like Kabuli channa tur dal, urad dal, moong and others are also quoted higher between Rs 40 and Rs 80 per kg at the retail markets.

Prices of potatoes, tomatoes, onions, brinjals, cabbages, cauliflowers, lady-fingers, bitter-seed gourds, and others are also costing higher since the last two months.

Potatoes were being quoted higher at Rs 10-18 per kg, followed by tomatoes at Rs 20-30 per kg, onions at Rs 15-25 per kg, brinjals at Rs 40-60 per kg, lady-fingers at Rs 50-65 per kg, cauliflowers at Rs 35-55 per kg, and bitter-seed gourd at Rs 80-120 per kg in the retail markets.

Prices are expected to further escalate by at least 10 to 15 per cent during the forthcoming festival season, market sources said.

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