Vegetable prices in Delhi continue rising trend

Prices of many fruits and vegetables across the wholesale markets in Delhi continued a rising trend during the week ended Saturday.

According to data from the Delhi Agriculture Board, the price of lady’s finger in wholesale markets jumped Rs 650 a quintal between March 14 and 21, an increase of 20 per cent, while capsicum became costlier by 30 per cent.

While the prices of onion, potato and tomatoes remained lower, that of other vegetables increased.

The main reason behind the spurt was untimely rain, which impacted standing vegetable crops across many parts of north, central and western India.

Last week, finance minister Arun Jaitley had told a private news channel that untimely rains might impact food prices.

Grape prices rose Rs 682 a quintal between March 14 and 21, while that of wet peas increased Rs 1,022 a quintal - a rise of 57 per cent. In the recent rains, standing grape crops had been damaged extensively in Maharashtra.

An analysis by the department of agriculture shows India’s per-hectare productivity of major fruits and vegetables has wide state-wise variation, with some registering yields far in excess of the national average while others being way below the mark.

For the period between 2011-12 and 2013-14, the per-hectare yield of crops such as mangoes has varied from 16 tonnes in Uttar Pradesh to 9.7 tonnes in Karnataka.

Similarly, for bananas, it has ranged from 66 tonnes in Madhya Pradesh to 43 tonnes in Uttar Pradesh.  In its analysis, the agriculture department has red-flagged those states where horticulture productivity has been abnormally low, compared to the national average as such poor yields are not economically viable.

It has also questioned the per-hectare yield of papaya and cabbage in Tamil Nadu in 2013-14, which has been abnormally high, compared to the same period in the previous year.