Prices of fruits, vegetables skyrocket

Truckers' strike begins to bite

Fruits and vegetable prices in Mysore have registered a sharp upward trend over the last four days due to the truckers' strike against the levy of service tax in the Union Budget.

While the retail vegetable and fruit market has shown a sharp increase, prices of some items have risen some 100 per cent. There has been a 5-10 per cent rise in the wholesale prices.

An emergent meeting convened by the deputy commissioner on Monday took stock of the situation. The position of movement of commodities, including fruits and vegetables, was reviewed. The Regional Transport Officer, APMC officials and truck operators attended the meeting. The APMC assistant secretary gave a list of 83 commodities with their supply and price position.

Onion is being quoted at Rs 10 in the Devaraja Market and vegetable hawkers are selling it at Rs 12 in the extensions, compared to Rs 6-7 a kg a few days ago. A sharp rise of Rs 3-4 has also been noticed in respect of potatoes. It is being sold at Rs 12 per kg against the earlier price of Rs 8-9.

While prices of some vegetables like beans has almost doubled, a few others like capsicum, brinjal, cauliflower and tomato have witnessed a rise of Rs 4-5. Among fruits, the price of apple has more than doubled, its merchants saying that supplies come from places like Shimla, Kashmir and Delhi due to the truckers' strike.

Admitting that there has been an upward trend in prices of fruits, vegetables and some other commodities, the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) assistant secretary Govindaraju told Business Standard on Tuesday that the rise in the wholesale market has been only 5-10 per cent.

Though the price rise in the wholesale market is marginal, the hike in the retail market is uncalled for as transport of vegetables is almost normal in Mysore. Citing an example, he said 120 truckloads of cauliflower had come to Mysore on Monday and it was being quoted at Rs 180-225 per quintal. Supply of onion and potato from Rajasthan and Maharashtra was normal. About 15 truckloads of onion and potatoes had come from those states.

Tempos and autorickshaws were bringing supplies from rural places like K R Pet to Mysore. Similarly, vegetables were being taken from Mysore to Kerala by tempos and jeeps, Govindaraju said, seeing no reason for the increase in the retail market. The traders are only taking advantage of the situation.

Expressing a similar view, a leading truck operator said that big trucks were shifting vegetables from Mysore to Kerala and Tamil Nadu as usual. While truck movement is normal, with no strike call, the price rise is nothing but the 'tendency to make the best use of an opportunity', he remarked. He also indicated that the truckers' strike may fizzle out by this evening.