The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Wholesale vegetable prices plummet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Wholesale vegetable prices plummet

Staff Reporter

Officials says things will improve in a couple of days

WOES PILE UP: A scene at a vegetable market in city. - Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD: Contrary to assurances given by the Government in ensuring remunerative prices to farmers, vegetable prices are continuing to plummet at the wholesale market in Bowenpally.

The poor farmers are in no position to switch back to their local food crop, since they were forced to sell the produce for lesser prices, thus losing a good part of the year's income. Growers have been selling tomato for Rs.2 and onion for Rs. 1.50 per kg for the last two weeks.

"Farmers toil in the fields to grow vegetables that come to the market. But there is scant regard for us," remarks an irate farmer pointing to the mounds of rotting vegetables.

He said farmers were selling vegetables, particularly tomato and brinjal, at throwaway prices.

Some of them were not in a position to pay transportation charges after bringing the produce to the market.

Growers despondent

Growers said the situation has not improved till date despite purchasing tomatoes and supplying them to Government-run hostels and bridge schools by the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district administrations.

"We are still not getting minimum prices for our yield even after the assurance given by the Minister during his visit to the market last week," laments K. Mallaiah, a farmer from Toopran in Medak district.

But Marketing Department officials say the reasons for the low prices for vegetables are the huge arrivals in the market. The situation will improve in a couple of days.

"In fact, the prices of tomatoes will further increase shortly," Bowenpally market yard secretary Mohammed Hisamuddin said on Wednesday.

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