Hyderabad: Vegetable prices Telangana rose sharply after lower crop yields forced traders to import produce in large volumes from neighbouring states, increasing transport costs and market rates.
Officials from the marketing department said nearly 68 per cent of vegetables sold in Telangana markets were now coming from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh. As a result, transportation expenses added to retail prices, making vegetables costlier for consumers.
Traders said tomatoes, green chillies, beans, and cauliflower were arriving from Karnataka. They added that carrots and onions were sourced from Maharashtra, potatoes from Gujarat, bananas and radish from Andhra Pradesh, and okra, ridge gourd, cluster beans, and brinjal from Chhattisgarh. Consequently, most vegetables were selling at around ₹60 per kg in retail markets.
Typically, vegetables sown in July and August should reach markets in large quantities by November. However, farmers could not take up full-scale sowing in August due to low rainfall in July. Later, heavy rains in October damaged crops planted from September onwards. In tomatoes, flowers and young fruits fell in large numbers, leading to a shortage.
Vegetable prices Telangana to ease as new crops arrive in two months
Horticulture officials said the current shortage was temporary. According to them, farmers who lost crops to heavy rains have started replanting. They said fresh harvests would reach markets within the next two months, which could help stabilise vegetable prices Telangana.
Officials also said farmers in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh were cultivating hybrid varieties under green shade nets and polyhouses. These crops were currently supplying markets, but production costs remained high, keeping prices elevated.
Meanwhile, consumers said rising vegetable prices had strained household budgets. They said most vegetables were selling above ₹60 per kg, which was difficult to manage on limited incomes. Middle- and lower-income families said the price rise added to their financial stress.
At present, prices in Rythu Bazaars show tomatoes and green chillies at around ₹60 per kg, carrots and beans at about ₹80 per kg, brinjal, okra, ridge gourd, and ivy gourd near ₹60 per kg, cucumbers around ₹60 per kg, while cauliflower and cabbage sell at about ₹40 per piece.
