Low supply, high cost of greens sends kitchen budget in tailspin for Delhiites

New Delhi: Crop damage in states like Himachal Pradesh due to delayed rain has sent prices of vegetables skyrocketing in the national capital, with consumers forced to buy daily items such as tomatoes at double the price.

Prices of kitchen staples like potatoes, onion, and tomatoes as well as green vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and those in the gourd family have particularly soared, vendors in the wholesale markets said.

"Currently, the wholesale price of tomatoes is around 50 to 60 rupees per kg. The local variety is selling for 1,200 rupees per 28 kilograms (1 crate), and the hybrid variety for 1,400 to 1,700 rupees. Earlier these used to sell for around 25-30 rupees," Sanjay Bhagat, a trader in Azadpur Sabzi Mandi, said.

"The price for other vegetables in the wholesale market is around 25 to 28 rupees per kg. Vegetables that used to sell for 10 to 15 rupees are now 25 to 30 rupees. Beans rates have also increased, selling for 40 to 50 rupees per kilogram," he added.

The surge was caused by intense heat and delayed rain this year.

Bhagat said most suppliers get tomatoes from Himachal Pradesh, which had its crop dried up.

The crops in the mountains depend on rain, and this time it was too hot, with very little rain, which caused the plants to dry up and get infested with pests, he said.

The dry patch was followed by heavy rain, which further damaged the crops.

"Right now, the supply is low, and the quality is poor," Bhagat added.

Only two places are supplying tomatoes right now –- Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh — and according to estimates, the prices will remain high until the new crop from Maharashtra arrives around August 10-15, another trader in Okhla Sabzi Mandi said.

"The new crop takes about 60 days to grow. It is estimated that the prices will start stabilising around August 15," he said, adding, the demand is still steady.

Several people in Delhi PTI spoke to say the high prices of vegetables have sent their budgets in a tailspin.

"I am only buying limited quantities and only those items which are absolutely necessary in the kitchen. A common man cannot afford to buy vegetables right now," Sarita, who was buying groceries in the Laxmi Nagar vegetable market, said.

Deepak, in Mehrauli vegetable market, said, "Earlier, with 200 to 300 rupees, we could buy vegetables for the entire week but now it is spent in just two to three days. It has become difficult to manage the kitchen budget." For many restaurants, though the hike in vegetable rates has inflated the cost of dishes served to customers, they refrain from recalibrating the prices.

"Most restaurants have fixed menus, and we have regular customers, so we can't fluctuate our prices like suppliers can. This puts pressure on our margins. We try not to increase our prices too often, but sometimes we are forced to do so annually due to these unexpected cost increases," Manpreet Singh, owner of Zen Restaurant in Connaught Place, and honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said.

"This is the challenge for restaurants with printed menus, which can't be changed frequently. Those with electronic menus or tablets are rare," he added.

Asked if the surge in items like tomato, garlic and coriander has led restaurants to reduce their usage in dishes, Singh said, it is usually not done unless absolutely necessary.

"As an owner, who has been serving people for years, we can't reduce the usage of any particular item. Some fast food outlets might do this, but most big established brands wouldn't until it's absolutely necessary. Regular customers expect consistency, and it's a long-term fight to maintain this," he said. "You can't stop serving tomatoes just because their prices are up."

The owner of the street Kiosk shop selling meals in the Chhatarpur area of South Delhi said, "We have to buy vegetables at a higher cost but if we increase prices for dishes customers won't come. We don't have any option than to wait for the prices to come down."