New Delhi: Vegetable prices have doubled in the last one month. Tomatoes in Delhi's retail markets that cost Rs 30 a kg till recently, now cost Rs 60. Potato prices have risen by Rs 5 in the past week.
The Delhi government claims floods in the vegetable producing belt of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have pushed the prices up. But wholesale prices don't show much movement.
"The crops come from adjacent states and because of floods are in short supply. Once the situation improves, prices will stabilise," said Raj Kumar Chauhan, Welfare Minister of Delhi. "There is no question of hoarding. You can not hoard vegetables as they will go bad," he added.
Chauhan said, "What is happening at the moment is because of the short supply. Retailers are trying to increase their profits by selling these vegetables at a much higher price."
Food inflation rises to 12.81 pc
Meanwhile, annual food inflation inched up to 12.81 per cent for the week ended July 3, while fuel inflation shot up to 14.27 per cent, reflecting the hike in oil prices. In the previous week food inflation was at 12.63 per cent and fuel inflation at 18.02 per cent. While vegetable prices fell by 5.70 per cent year-on year, costlier pulses and cereals kept food inflation higher.
Potato became cheaper by nearly 43 per cent, while onion prices were down five per cent on an annual basis. Cereals turned dearer by 6.04 per cent and rice by 6.10 per cent. Prices of pulses shot up 28.98 per cent and that of milk by 15.91 per cent. Year-on-year fruit prices went up by 15.91 per cent. The impact of the hike in fuel prices hike by the government on June 25 was seen in the prices of petroleum products, which rose 14.27 per cent annually. The increase spurred the overall inflation to 10.55 per
cent in June.
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