Karnataka - Mangalore   

Fluctuating prices stump people

MANGALORE: The Centre's steps to bring down the price of onion has not made much impact in Mangalore. The price ranged between Rs. 48 and Rs. 53 on Thursday at the Central Market here.

While one shop – a fruit and vegetable marketing hub in the heart of the city, was selling the tubers at Rs. 48 a kg, another shop was quoting Rs. 50 a kg. It was Rs. 53 a kg elsewhere. A majority of the shops had small onions, while only a few had the big quality onions.

It has been seeing a roller-coaster ride as far as the consumer is concerned — it was Rs. 60 a kg on Monday, Rs. 65 on Tuesday, Rs. 80 on Wednesday and around Rs. 50 on Thursday.

“It's hard to believe that the rates can change every day in this manner.

This price has only doubled the cost of celebrating Christmas,” said Alwyn D'Souza of Ashoknagar, who had come along with his wife Molly D'Souza to the Central Market to buy vegetables.

Not passed on

While the prices in many markets are learnt to have come down sharply, the reduction was limited in Mangalore.

This was attributed to the city not getting enough supply from places such as Pune and Belgaum. Although the Central Market received stocks of onion at a price of Rs. 42 a kg on Thursday, the same has not been passed on to the customers. “We have stocked onion purchased a week ago at Rs. 58 a kg. We are clearing the old stock at Rs. 46 a kg,” said a wholesale agent.

Tomato costly

On Thursday, the price of tomato went up to Rs. 30 a kg as against Rs. 24 on Monday. The prices of ladies finger, carrot, capsicum, brinjal and beans have come down by Rs. 2 compared to the rates prevailing on Monday.

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